Rune Golem
by AsheRhyder
Summary: Zelgadis has a new source of power that no one truly understands and not even he can completely control. What happens when that power threatens everything he holds dear?
1. Book One

Rune Golem

Rune Golem

Summary: Zelgadis has a new source of power that no one truly understands and not even he can completely control. What happens when that power threatens everything he holds dear?

  
  
Chapter 1: Raido: Journey

It had begun as any other day for him; poorly. Zelgadis Greywers opened his eyes, rose to his feet, and greeted the morning with a string of curses due to the crick in his back. He stretched his lean , white-clothed body to try and dislodge the uncomfortable knot, which refused to budge in any way. With many more muttered curses, he unsheathed his blade and painfully went through routine warm-ups. He had a new lead on the Claire Bible, and he wanted to be prepared for anything. 

This explained why an hour later, the not-so-nearby bandit headquarters went boom.

* Lead or no lead,* he thought, frying another outlaw with a Flare Arrow, * there is no way I'm sleeping on the ground again tonight.*

One of the other desperados charged him, sword drawn, and managed to not only bend his weapon into a useless piece of metal, but also to make a rather large and nasty cut in the chimera's shirt. Said tear ran from Zelgadis' left shoulder to his right hip, and neatly bisected his belt, too.

"No more games," he growled, embarrassment flushing his face as he held his pants up with his free hand.

"Games?" The rogue whimpered, knees knocking. 

"FREEZE ARROW!" The Shaman cried, and sent three glacial javelins into the earth. Himself excluded, everyone was frozen to the ground. With that out of the way, he strode into the cave that held the gang's loot.

* I must have hung around Lina too long, * he decided, helping himself to the cash. Several other objects caught his eye: enchanted swords, magic shields, a talking flute that had been gagged, an assortment of scrolls that turned out to be a written copy of the recipes for a full-course dragon cuisine, and a strange looking black leather bag embroidered with gold.

* Lina would probably want this. * He stashed the scrolls and the bag, thinking she could use it as a purse. If not, he could always hock it.

He was about to leave, when he remembered the bandits. Their frantic swearing made him wonder how he forgot about them. They were frozen up to their shoulders, just as he had left them. Walking up to the leader, he pulled a coin out of his pocket and started flipping it absently.

"You're a gambling man, aren't you?" he asked, leaning on the ice. "What's say we make a little bet…"

"A b-b-bet?" The boss shivered, and Zelgadis nodded casually.

"On one side, I'll kill you and your men with some big spell."

"On the o-o-other?"

"I walk away. You and your men thaw out, and forget it ever happened." He flipped the coin, eyes narrow. "Call it in the air." 

"T-t-tails." He blurted out a mere moment before it landed on the chimera's outstretched palm with a ping and toppled.

"Heads." Zelgadis looked up from the coin, eyes dark. "You lose. But, I'm willing to give you one last chance. Where is the Claire Bible?"

"The B-B-Bible?" The thief stuttered, eyes wide in fear. 

"The Claire Bible." He repeated slowly, energy gathering discreetly in his hands.

"We don't have it! Them other guys, Lily and Gary, they took it!"

"Tell me, what did 'Lily' look like?" Recognition flashed across his steel blue eyes. Within the next minute, he had the information he wanted. As he turned to go, the bandits called out.

"Hey! What about us?!" Slowly, the chimera turned to face them, his gaze harboring the glow of magic. Several of them whimpered as Zelgadis' eyes glowed white and the wind blew back his cloak. By the time he had raised his left hand, they were begging for mercy.

"MIND WIPE." A soft whisper passed his lips, and the spell destroyed the last fifteen minutes of their memories.

It was almost sunset when he reached the village. As much as he hated being around so many people, he was sick of camping out. Only the other day, a snake had crawled up his shirt, seeking the warmth that somehow emanated from his stone skin. It had been very unpleasant to wake up to a reptile that had become motion sick from sleeping on his stomach.

The crick in his back announced its return with a violent burst of fiery agony. He sighed, the exhaustion of the journey seeping all the way to the marrow of his bones. How long had it been since he slept at an inn? Three weeks? Four? Too long, at any rate. He paid the Innkeeper for two nights, left instructions that he was not to be disturbed, and gratefully made his way to the room. 

Sleep engulfed him as he collapsed on the bed.

  
Chapter 2: Teiwaz: Battle

Zelgadis was startled from his blissful slumber by the unnecessarily loud sounds of mass destruction. His eyes shot open as he sat straight up, and his hand went to his sword hilt. Dimly, he realized that he had fallen asleep fully clothed, but this thought was pushed aside as he was thrown to the ground by a rather large explosion.

"Damn it!" he roared, scrambling to his feet. As another blast rocked the building to its very foundations, he raced out into the hall and down the stairs.

"Bandits!" the frantic Innkeeper cried, running past him with a tiny child in his arms. "Someone help! Bandits!"

"What?" Zelgadis' eyes widened. "Don't you have any defenses?"

"We used to have a few mages, but the bandits killed them in their sleep." The terrified man sweat dropped as he tried to catch his breath. "Please sir, if you can help us…"

"I'll do what I can." The chimera strode out of the inn, an icy glint in his eyes. Almost at once, a bandit attempted to impale him, but the action backfired horribly. With a modified version of the Monovolt, Zelgadis calmly fried every nerve in the man's body. Half a dozen Shadow Snaps prevented half a dozen of the towns young maidens from being dishonored, and a few other spells kept the would be rapists from every threatening someone again.

He nailed a few more with a large Diem Wind, and was about to finish off another with a Fireball when something grabbed him from behind.

"Whoa!" He yelled as he was hauled off his feet, spun around, and unceremoniously thrown into the ground. Pain burned in the back of his head, even more so when he tried to focus his eyes to see what had attacked him. 

"Die!" Dressed in armor made from the skin of a black dragon, the bandit leader towered over him by at least three feet. He carried a morning-star as big as a man's head, and his muscles bulged with every movement. 

"Oh shit." Zelgadis gaped, rolling out of the way as the giant's weapon demolished the spot where he had been. "FLARE ARROW!"

The javelins of pyre he threw shattered harmlessly against the rare armor. The larger man laughed, moving to once more to bash him into the ground.

"DAMU BRASS!" Zelgadis threw spell after spell at his opponent, each one breaking against the dragon's hide. Soon he found himself in a corner, with few options. He gritted his teeth, and white energy formed between his palms. He allowed his astral attack to grow, consuming his life force to make it stronger. The gigantic outlaw pulled back his arm to let loose the fatal attack, just as gold flashed in the chimera's cerulean eyes.

Within the orb of power Zelgadis had collected, a symbol resembling an upside down 'U' appeared. Three sided, the character was angular and made of golden light.

"RA..." He bit down on his tongue to keep from screaming because of the pain, and hastily spat out the blood. "TILT!"

The resulting explosion leveled the nearby walls and knocked Zelgadis off his feet, but left a scorched mark on the ground as a testament to the leader's destruction. At the epicenter of the impact, the blast left the strange mark that had appeared earlier.

"Oww…" The chimera groaned, sitting up. He realized, as he checked himself for injuries, that a good portion of his shirt had been burned off. After considering the destruction of the surrounding buildings, he sat amidst the rubble, wondering how an astral attack managed to effect inanimate objects.

He was still siting there when the townsfolk found him.

"Are you all right?" the Innkeeper asked, offering him a hand up.

"I… think so…" He blinked, still somewhat confused.

"You saved our homes. Thank you very much." The Innkeeper's wife gushed. "Without you, the bandits would surely have taken everything."

"You're welcome." Caution flooded his instincts as the villagers expressed their gratitude, never once even giving his appearance a second thought. 

"Come by my shop once you've rested, and I'll make you some clothes befitting of a hero like yourself." The seamstress beamed. "It's the least we can do."

"Ah… all right." He felt a blush creep onto his face. He was unaccustomed to the kind of treatment they gave him, and for the most part, unsure of how to act.

"Come." The Innkeeper motioned to him. "Surely a warrior as great as you must even need rest now and then. The room is on the house!" Saying this, he handed Zelgadis back the money he had paid.

"Really, you're too kind." The Shaman stammered, not remembering the last time he had been treated by total strangers.

"Nonsense." The Innkeeper's wife laughed. "It would have taken us years to repair the damage the bandits would do, had you not been here. Many of our friends and family have you to thank for their lives. The last time they raided, they killed over half the people."

Zelgadis processed this information that night, as he lay in bed.

Three days later, he stood at the gate of the town, preparing to continue on his quest. Most of the population was there to see him off, another thing that surprised him. He shifted nervously, the cloth of his sleeveless black tunic rustling slightly. Absently he tossed the tail of his headband over his shoulder, then dusted off his slightly looser pants and adjusted his knee-high black boots.

"Thank you very much for your hospitality." His fingers ran over the leather laces of his bracers. "I'll never forget you all." It was corny, and cliché, but no one seemed to mind as they watched him head out.

  
Chapter Three: Peorth: Lucky Find

The next three towns he found were not as accepting of his unusual appearance, so he traveled at a strenuous pace to try and catch Lina and Gourry. Gangs of thieves had grown more cautious since the red-head had passed through, and stayed away from the lone wanderer. Never the less, several robbers' dens were attacked and scavenged during his passage. 

Having added a black cloak to his ensemble, thanks to an outlaw that wouldn't be needing it anymore, Zelgadis entered the city with his cool mask of indifference firmly in place. Said mask cracked and fell apart as he walked into a restaurant and found Lina and Gourry fighting over a meatball. He walked up to their table, and when they took no notice of him, snagged the morsel for himself. 

"Hey!" Both the sorceress and the swordsman yelled at the disappearance of their food. Zelgadis smirked as they gave him a good once-over, absorbing the dramatic change in his outfit.

"Nice threads, Zel." Lina nodded, then held up her fork like a deadly weapon. "Care to explain how you're going to make up for my food?" 

"You never change." He smiled fondly, digging around in his sub-dimensional pocket for a moment before tossing her one of the recipe scrolls. She caught it with a look of surprise, glancing over the tome with wide eyes. 

"This… this… this is…" She stuttered as he plucked it from her grasp. "Dragon Cuisine!"

"If you want this, you're going to have to trade for it." The smug look on his face countered her salivating expressing. "You know what I'm after, Lina… or should I say Lily?" 

"Not the Bible!" She hissed. "Anything but that!"

"Why so quiet?" He whispered. "Doesn't the fruitcake already know?" There was a harsh glint in his frigid eyes.

"No!" She shook her head violently. "You can read it after me."

"No way." He scowled. "He always burns them as soon as you've read it."

"He doesn't know about this one."

"Yet."

"Zel…"

"You know, id you had that recipe, you could probably send it to Seyroon and have it prepared by the time we reach it."

"'We'?"

"Yes. Looks yummy."

"Zel!"

"Well, if you really don't want it, I could always sell it to someone…"

"Fine." Lina's stomach got the best of her. The thought of being able to finally taste the legendary dragon cuisine overruled her lust for power. "We read it together." Well, not quite.

"When, and where?" He smirked again, inwardly rejoicing at his first personal victory in years. 

"Your room." She murmured. "Tonight, when the moon is at its highest."

"You'll get the scrolls when we're through reading." He stood and left to _get_ a room, paying no attention to the daggers she glared into his back.

* That guy can be such a jerk. * She thought, standing and leaving a confused by happy Gourry to the rest of the food.

* Which room is his, damn it?!* She wondered as she stalked down the halls. *I want those recipes!* A quick scan for the trace she had placed on the red gem that he never seemed to be without lead her to the last door on the right. She peeked in the door, face faulting when she found the chimera asleep with the covers tucked up to his chin… He looked so peaceful that she almost didn't have the heart to wake him up.

"YO! ZEL!"

Almost.

Her shout caused him to leap out of bed, tightly clutching the hilt of his sword. And he was nude. The weapon was, thankfully, posed in the way of a certain view, but was just barely able to hide the target. Frozen by shock, neither one moved while their faces turned bright red. 

At last, Zelgadis recovered enough to dive back under the covers, his hand darting out to grab the black briefs and pants folded neatly on a chair. 

"Oi, Zel, don't you have any decency?!" She demanded, facing the opposite wall. 

"Me?!" He yelled. "You're the one who came busting into my room without any warning!" He threw aside the blanket at last, standing up half dressed.

"How was I supposed to know you were going to going to sleep in the buff?" She snarled. "And right through the meeting, too."

"You could have knocked." He grumbled bitterly, pulling on his tunic and fastening his belt.

"Do you want the Claire Bible or not?!" She fumed.

"Fine." He tied the last knot on his bracers. "You can turn around now." With a final click and the rustling of cloth, Zelgadis pulled hooking his cloak.

"You know, in that outfit, you look kind of scary." Lina commented as she studied him. "You should smile more, you're too intimidating."

"Thanks." He deadpanned. "Are we going to get down to business?"

"And blunt." She sat down on the bed, which was ensorcelled to make itself every time the occupant got up. He sat beside her, arms crossed as he awaited the information that the book held.

"Just get on with it."

"Fine."

Outside, the moon shone down on the shadow-cloaked figures who stared down at the sleeping town with cold, crimson eyes.

"They're here," one said to another.

~ Do we attack tonight? ~ a third asked. 

"No, the second confirmed. "Let us see just how well they guard their secrets."

"Tomorrow, then?" The first questioned.

~ Tomorrow. ~ The last grinned. ~ Tomorrow… ~

  
Chapter 4: Isa: Standstill

Morning came, and the two readers of the Claire Bible glared at each other with bloodshot eyes. 

"We stayed up the whole night—" Zelgadis growled.

"—For a bunch of spells we can't even use?!" Lina finished. 

Indeed, the two most intelligent members of the Slayers had found nothing of use in the Claire Bible manuscript. All the ancient document contained was information about a kind of magic that was disbanded with Nightmare. To their credit, they now knew the history of Runic magic, a chaotic variation on Nightmare and Shamanism powers. Unfortunately, Runic magic required a set of Runestones, and the manuscript didn't give them any information on how to make one. All other sets had disappeared into history without a trace.

"As promised, here are the scrolls with the recipes." He shoved said artifacts into her hands, and ushered her out the door. "Now go away and let me sleep."

"Sheesh." Lina muttered, rubbing her eyes as the door slammed in her face. "Cranky."

Sometime before dinner, after Lina and Zelgadis slept off their exhaustion and Gourry was fried for 'wondering' where the red-head was, the city was attacked. This in itself was nothing new, but for an entire metropolis to be ravaged by three people… well, even Lina was impressed. 

"And here I thought we did a good job of property destruction ourselves." Zelgadis muttered sarcastically as he, Lina, and Gourry faced the three intruders. Lina's aura flared around her at his comment.

"Shut up and help, Zel!" She snapped. "FLARE ARROW!" Her opponent, a man in a forest-green outfit with short blond hair and dusty red eyes, rolled aside.

"DISFANG!" He countered. Before Lina could cast Lighting, the shadowy dragon had buried it's fangs deep into her shadow's right shoulder. Blood spouted from the wound, even as the words to Fireball died on her lips. The dark serpent moved to rip apart her other arm, thereby disabling her, but was struck down by the blinding flash created by Zelgadis' condensed Lighting.

Gourry locked swords with a woman who was almost as tall as him. Her long ebony hair and scarlet eyes were complimented by her crimson garb. She smiled ruthlessly as she attacked, giving neither openings nor pauses in her onslaught. 

"You're pretty good." Gourry grunted, striving to break free.

"Die!" She snarled, pressing harder.

"No way!" The blonde huffed. "Hate to do this, but…" He twisted out of the stalemate, spinning to bring down his blade, but was met by her sword. There wasn't a chance that any normal human could have righted their balance so quickly and still been able to block.

She managed to graze his side while he pondered this, not taking him out, but thoroughly slowing him down.

Zelgadis was also having difficulties with his opponent, who happened to be a squat, brown-haired man with red eyes and black clothes.

"BALUS ROD!" The ruby-eyed aggressor cried, the whip created by this spell lashing out at Zelgadis and slashing his arms and face. The chimera yelled in pain, frantically trying to gather the power to retaliate or defend. A well placed blow to the head sent him reeling, and blinded him with his own blood temporarily. This distraction gave the short man an opportunity to attack with;

"DARK CLAW!"

Unable to see correctly, all Zel could was curl up as tightly as the blurs shot towards him. 

"Zel!" Lina screamed.

"GUUMUEON!" He roared at the last minute, a mystic shield slamming up to intercept the insect-like spell. In the center of the barrier, a golden vertical line flared up and caught the offensive spell.

"Isa!" The little man growled, stepping back, and cringing as the Dark Claw was components fell to the ground and dissipated. 

"What?" The chimera's eyes glittered dangerously as he advanced on his challenger. Attack after attack assaulted the wall, but each was frozen in place by the aureate glow. 

"Isa…"

"What is Isa?!" Zelgadis caught the sorcerer by the collar, lifting him to his eye level.

"HELL BLAST!" The spear froze as it struck the blockade, clattering to the floor uselessly.

"What is Isa?!" His voice was now almost as cold as his infinitely glacial eyes.

The stout man wouldn't answer; he spat in Zelgadis' face.

For a long, silent moment, no one moved. All life came to a halt to see what the blue-skinned would do next. Lina sensed the power Zelgadis was radiating, and apparently so did the others. The stocky mage in the chimera's grasp started to squirm, then struggled to escape as if his life depended on it.

Noticed only by the captive, a golden line shot vertically across Zel's violent cerulean eyes.

"VICE FREEZE." His lips barely moved as he passed judgement, turning his prisoner to ice and then shattering him with a flick of the wrist. Shards of ice fell to the ground like a million tiny crystals.

  
Chapter 5: Eolh: Guardian 

Zelgadis stared blankly into his coffee cup, his steel-blue eyes showing no emotion whatsoever. He had killed, again, and it made him queasy. More so than usual. The Vice Freeze… that surely couldn't have been the fatal blow. 

* No. * he reminded himself. * You killed him with your own two hands. * He had been shocked at how thoroughly the spell had frozen the little man. Still, he never remembered Vice Freeze turning the body completely into ice before. He would have to be more careful in the future. 

The other two had escaped during the confusion and chaos after the ice spell. They would need to capture one of them alive for interrogation since the third wouldn't be in any position to talk again. He mulled over the data he had assessed during the battle.

First there was the short, and now deceased, mage. All of the little man's bulk had been fat, so he was probably from a noble ancestry. That would explain the extensive and potentially fatal offensive black magic, and why the dwarf-like sorcerer was so… unsuited… for physical combat. Money couldn't buy happiness, but it sure as hell could buy a lot of power. 

Then there was that black-haired woman who seemed to be as well trained with the blade as Gourry. Her speed was nearly a match, if not a direct counter, to the blonde's strength. What's more, her movements did not hold the pose or pattern of any one technique. He had counted at least seven attacks from different styles. Somehow, he had a gut feeling that she was going to be a problem.

Last was the blonde mage. He was pretty fast, too; able to draw blood and disable while Lina was on her second spell. Pulling out Disfang in the beginning of the match was bad enough, but he had a feeling that the shadow serpent could have easily taken out the sorceress. For all her power, Lina wasn't anywhere near as fast as their newest opponents.

Then he realized someone was talking to him. 

"What?" He looked up, startled.

"I said," Lina gave him a Look, "what was with you earlier today?"

"What do you mean?" His metallic gaze caught hers, but reflected nothing.

"That Vice Freeze you cast." She narrowed her eyes. "It froze him to the core. Literally." Zelgadis turned away, eyes clouded with confusion.

"I don't know," he murmured. 

"And what about that 'Isa' thing, what is it?" she demanded.

"I don't know."

"Figures."

"Wait."

"Huh?"

"Do you remember what _it_ said about the Runic spells?"

"Yeah…"

"Wasn't Isa—"

"—One of those Runes?"

"… It doesn't make any sense."

"Are you sure you don't have any Runestones?" 

"I think I would have remembered picking up any objects of power."

"Well, empty out your pocket dimension, just in case." 

"WHAT?!" Zelgadis leapt to his feet, eyes wide. 

"You heard me." Lina tapped her foot impatiently. "Empty out your pocket dimension." The cerulean-eyed chimera continued to gape at her as if she had asked him to rip out his heart and wear it on his belt. 

"I-I-I… but-but-but…" he stammered, backing up a step.

"What, you've got something in there you don't want me to see?" She gave him a sly glance, and his face reddened slightly.

"N-n-no…" To his embarrassment, he watched her hands sneak out to grab his cloak.

"Then empty it out already." She pouted as he jerked back.

"Here?" His gaze darted over the room; most patrons of the restaurant inn combo had decided to ignore them ages ago.

"Hmm…I guess you're right." She admitted, and he breathed a sigh of relief. "To the bedroom!" She grabbed him by the arm and dragged him up the stairs, all the while chewing herself out for how bad the phrase had sounded. 

An hour later…

Lina scowled at the size of the pile of Zelgadis' belongings, which was at least her height and three times as wide. A good two thirds of the heap was comprised of an assortment of weapons, ranging from a lead filled bo to a kusari-gama. A small sweat drop rolled down the side of Lina's head as the umpteenth dagger flew by her head.

"Zel…" She whined, and the chimera glared at her darkly.

"You told me to empty out my pocket dimension." He deadpanned. "That's exactly what I'm doing." He resumed his excavation, and Lina sighed in frustration. 

"There was a crash as something hit the floor, something that either broke on impact or was comprised of multiple parts. Both Lina and Zelgadis halted to see what it was, and nearly fell over in surprise. Twenty-five bone-white tiles lay upon the floor each one bearing a carmine carved symbol, save for the last, which was blank. Ever character reflected like molten gold at a certain angle.

"What the hell?" Lina knelt down to pick up one of the stones, oblivious to their building energy.

"Don't touch it!" Zelgadis dashed forward and grabbed her, then hit the floor as lightning exploded from the mystical stones. The rock-skinned youth shielded the red-head with his body, but the silent electricity did not touch him. Still, he waited until it was finished be fore he moved aside. 

"What was that?" She gasped.

"Imprinting spell." He glared at the offending disks. "To keep them from being stolen or used by the wrong person. I don't think the spell effects inanimate objects; that's why they didn't react when I… acquired them."

"Zel…" Lina's brilliant red eyes shone with grim concentration. "We have to talk."

  
Chapter Six: Purisaz: Defense

"They got Arbez." The ebony-haired woman glared at her blonde companion as she sharpened her blade. 

"I realize that." He replied, pacing before her like a caged tiger.

"What do you intend to do about it?" She remained apathetic, even while his expression warped with chagrin. 

"Counter, naturally." He halted in his walk. "They killed Arbez, so it is only right that we kill his killer."

"Of course." She ignored his twisted logic, testing the edge of her sword and finding it to be acceptable.

"Oh yes, stone-man." He muttered darkly, with vengeance and insanity on each word. "You will be sorry you ever laid eyes on a Runestone!" His mad cackle echoed into nothingness, and his female companion attempted to massage away the beginning of her new headache.

For the longest time, neither Zelgadis nor Lina made a move to touch the Runestones. The two spell casters sat in silence, wary of the dull but ever present power emanating from the talismans. After a brief statement about how the imprinter would most likely be on their way to claim the stones, they lost the will to converse.

"Well…" Lina sighed at last. "What are we going to do?"

"I don't know about you," Zelgadis snorted, "but I'm going to get a closer look."

"What?!" Her jaw dropped. "You can't be serious! Zel!"

"If you don't remember, the lightning didn't effect me earlier." He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and caught her gaze with his steel glare. "Perhaps the spell doesn't acknowledge me because of my stone skin."

"Zel…" She glowered.

"It's worth a try, Lina." He reached towards the tiles, his cold stare never moving from the target.

"Zel…" She warned.

Both of them held their breath as his fingers brushed the smooth surface, then closed around the disk.

"The… the power level!" He hissed. "It dropped!"

"What?" Crimson eyes stared at the tablet, trying to find what Zel felt. "How can you tell?"

"You mean that you can't?" His attention diverted to her.

"No." She shook her head. "Odd, usually I sense these kind of things…. Are you sure they're imprinted?"

"Positive." He nodded. The feel of magic is all around them."

"But that would mean…" She looked up at him, the actuality dawning in her gaze. "They're imprinted to you…"

"What?!" He dropped the stone and fell back in shock. "Impossible!" 

"Let me guess; you lifted this off of a bandit gang, right?" She waited for him to answer, and he barely nodded in reply. "These stones are probably enchanted to imprint to their original owner, and then whoever kills that owner. I'm betting one of those outlaws stole them from the owner without knowing about the power of the Runes, and never found out."

"All right, I suppose it _is_ possible…" Terror filled his voice as he looked at her cautiously. "You wouldn't…" 

"Gods, Zel, lighten up!" She slapped him on the back , ignoring the sharp pain in her hand. "You're one of my best friends! I wouldn't kill you to gain the powers of the Runes. Although, if you could teach me…"

"Lina, it could take me years to decipher the spells on these stones." He sighed in aggravation. "Even with your help—"

"Yare, yare," Xellos phased in, smiling as arrogantly as ever. "What kind of toys are you playing with now, children?" Lina shot him a Death Glare, and Zelgadis scooped the disks into the bag. 

"None of your business, fruitcake." The chimera snarled. 

"Touchy, today, aren't we?" The Mazoku's amethyst eyes opened slowly, shadows playing over his face.

The blue eyed youth's hand clenched tightly around the forgotten stone in his hand, which glowed dully in reaction to his temper, that blood trickled down between his fingers. Xellos attempted to pry into his mind, but was met with solid mental barriers without as much as a hairline fracture in them. He pressed against the walls, and received a good psychic kick in the pants for trying. The blockades shone with figures that looked like triangular flags at half mast.

* What is that? * The Trickster pondered, withdrawing reluctantly from the chimera's brutal mind-scape. * What could you be trying to hide? *

The worst thing was, Xellos couldn't even read his emotions. It wasn't that he couldn't tell from Zelgadis' stance that he was livid with rage; that was obvious to even a passer-by. No, it was in the fact that Zelgadis' aura was repressed and hidden by the shields in his head. Normally, the priest was able to read the body's aura, with the exception of his Mazoku superiors. For a mortal to be able to block him out was, to say the least, humiliating. Breaking the Shaman's walls should have been an easy task. He _was_ only 1/3 Mazoku, surely he couldn't be able to shield that well…

* Then again, it might have been that the symbol I saw earlier, could have something to do with it….* He teleported off, leaving the sorceress in a silent, stunned trance with a seething Shaman.

  
Chapter Seven: Laguz: The Current

Zelgadis' sleep was, as usual, plagued with nightmares. However, they were not the same terrifying dreams of Rezo and his thrice-damned curse. These visions were a hundred times more graphic, and a thousand fold more horrible. The horizon was splattered with drying blood, but he could see no other signs of life. The sung hung low, spreading its crimson light into the gray reaches of the approaching night.

"Lina!" He shouted, repressing a shudder as his echo answered him. "Gourry!" Again, there was no reply. Thunder rolled among the distant clouds. 

"LINA!" This time, there was not even an echo. Chills ran up his spine as the wind suddenly increased in speed, blowing back the tail of his headband and cape. A golden glow appeared on the edge of his peripheral vision, and it fast approached him. The gale-strength force screamed, the high pitched sound tearing at his sensitive hearing. He cried out, but his voice was lost in the wind. Zelgadis' heart stopped entirely was he finally saw what was coming. Impaled on a golden rune named Kenaz, Lina's body hung limply from the angular 'C'-like symbol. Close behind was Gourry, with the character Dagez piercing his body. The hourglass on its side wove through his limbs and torso. 

"No…" The chimera fell to his knees as the rune-clad corpses circled around him a few times, and for a moment, the light in his eyes died. "I won't let it happen!" He grabbed the symbols between his hands and tore at them, to no avail.

* Learn. * The wind cried. * Learn to protect. That's the only Way. *

"Way to what?" he asked, exhausted, confused, and more than a little put out .

* Learn the Way. * The voice answered. * The Way will take you to the correct path. Learn. *

"How?" He looked up, determination burning in his eyes.

* Use caution, Runecaster. Do not fight the Flow.*

"The flow of what?" He was getting fed up with being answered in such a cryptic manner; it was too Xellos-esque for his taste. "Who are you? Why are you telling me these things?!"

* We are Wyrd. *

"Wyrd?"

* Go. Learn.*

He sat straight up with a cry of shock, pain, and anger half on his lips. A burning lancelet of agony flashed through his chest, and much to his disgust, he coughed up blood. He wiped his mouth on his sleeve, knowing that the dried blood wouldn't show later. 

Deciding he needed some fresh air to clear his troubled mind, the Shaman headed for the woods behind the inn. He had no idea where he was going, but he felt the need to be within the company of unprejudiced nature.

And so, he walked. He forgot the dreams haunting him, allowing the night's gentle breeze to bathe him in its fresh scent. His eyes slipped closed unnoticed, but the wind guided his footsteps, and he did not collide with any mishaps. His spirit, settled somewhere between peace and oblivion, drifted calmly on the astral plain.

Then it hit him. 

"RUBY-EYE BLADE!" The power of the Dark Lord cut cleanly through Zelgadis' stone skin, and his carmine blood dyed the green earth in its own morbid shade. The Shaman leapt backwards gracefully, casting a healing spell on the deep wound.

"That was low." He growled, pain distorting his features.

"Your guard was down, stone-man." His attacker replied. "I've come to avenge Arbez—"

"Beg pardon?" He stalled for the time to let his wound heal.

"Arbez." The sorcerer repeated. "Short, stocky, well, more rounded than stocky, got shattered by your damn Vice Freeze…" Then he remembered why he had come in the first place, and slashed furiously at the Shaman. Only Zelgadis' demonic speed saved him from a hair cut that eliminated everything above the neck.

"Hold still and die, damn you!" The aggressor missed his target by a fraction of an inch, but carved a solid oak tree into several hundred toothpicks. 

"I have no desire to cease existing," he snapped, "so leave before I have to seriously hurt you."

"DIE!" The mage-swordsman charged the chimera, who prepared to release the Guumueon shield again, but realized that it probably wasn't strong enough to hold against the Ruby-Eye Blade. A sinking feeling entered his gut as he turned to dodge, but slipped on the loose earth and fell to the ground. The tip of the magical blade entered just below his rib cage and ripped through layers of muscle and bone. 

"GUUMUEON!" He cried, blood running over his lips. Gold light rippled in a straight line in front of the chimera. The scarlet sword shattered within the barrier, which glowed with Runic power.

"Damn you…" the other snarled. Zelgadis ignored the rant as he cast healing spell after healing spell on his multiple wounds. He felt his energy weakening, and he knew he wouldn't be able to hold the shield solid much longer. To his despair, he found he didn't have the strength to cast Ra-Tilt, even if he had the time to heal. 

* Lina… * he thought, coughing as blood filled his lungs. * Help… *

  
Chapter Eight: Eihwaz: Last Breath

Being woken up at obscure hours was something Lina hated with passion. Anyone who was stupid enough to do this would more than likely end up the victim of a Fireball. Of course, doing such an unthinkable act while she was pleasantly dreaming about mountains of food and a devoted male harem would put said person at the top of her shit list for the next fifty years. At least.

And yet, somehow she went from reclining on silken cushions with a particularly handsome youth serving her individual tidbits of meat to L-sama knows where in the blink of an eye.

* Lina… * A familiar voice called to her, projected from a shining symbol that resembled a capital 'M'. * Help… *

"Zelgadis?" She approached the Rune, knowing through some unexplained way that it was doing what the chimera subconsciously willed. That had been in the manuscript, she remembered. 

The character's light pulsed, as if acting like a beacon. It kept the same distance between them when she approached it, leading her a short distance into thick forest vegetation. The sounds of the end of a battle caused her to quicken her pace, but she broke into a run when she heard the Shaman's strangled cry of pain.

"Zel!" Lina burst into the clearing where once a fight had ravaged the area, but recoiled when she saw the victor. Images of the lightning fast Disfang serpent the red eyed sorcerer had used to attack her flashed through her mind.

"How did you get here?" He drew up over the chimera's still body, rusty gaze falling coldly on the still present sign. "Ehwaz. The Transporter."

"What did you do to Zel?" She asked, masking fear with fury. Beside her, the golden rune died out in a puff of sun-touched sparkles.

"The Runecaster?" He snorted, kicking the fallen warrior. "he's still alive, just unconscious."

"FIREBALL!" The sphere of pyre-kinetics exploded towards him, but was willed off course when he lifted the motionless form to be a shield.

"HELL BLAST!" The ebony pike impaled Zelgadis and pined him to the ground by his stomach. A small whimper escaped his blood coated lips as the life force was slowly and painfully drawn from him.

"Zelgad—"

"DISFANG!" The dark serpent bound her shadow tightly, hard enough to crack her ribs. If it hadn't been so important to retain the precious air that she already had, she would have screamed. The shadow constricted, lavishing pain on her that could feed one of Xellos' kind for a century. In the back of her agony-ravaged mind, she realized that it would be quite possible for one of her shattered ribs to puncture her lungs. Over and over, she tried to cast Lighting, but each time the shade would tighten around her, or bury its fangs into some part of vulnerable flesh through her shadow.

* I swear, Zel, * she thought furiously, * that if we live through this, I'm going to let you have it.*

"…" Something below the audibility of the others was ushered from his mouth, but he was ignored. 

"I find this to be extremely interesting." The ruby-eyed youth examined her coolly. "Who are you to last so long against us, and to even be able to destroy us? You are no Runecaster…"

"I… am… Lina Inverse," she choked out. "Genius… sorceress."

"You?" He laughed. "Vanquisher of Shabranigdo? I think not."

"Think what… you like…" She smirked upon seeing a hint of movement behind him. "It won't… matter soon."

"Foolish child." He motioned for the dragon to tear out her throat.

"BURST FLARE." Zelgadis' voice cracked, but his spell didn't falter. Kenaz manifested in a bright sphere, destroying the dragon. The startled mage didn't even have time to scream before he was wiped off the face of the planet in a blue and white explosion. The intense heat singed Lina's unprotected skin, at least until the chimera collapsed on top of her. His distant gaze sparkled like laughter in his sapphire eyes, and though his breathing was shallow, it was already rhythmic and smoothing out.

"Are you going to be okay?" She inquired, healing her burns and examining his. "You really got beat up."

"He played dirty." Zelgadis spat, mood darkening noticeably. "Caught me by surprise with Ruby-Eye Blade."

"What were you doing out here, anywhere?" She asked coyly. "And where is here, for that matter?"

"The woods behind the inn." Agony danced in stiletto heels on each of his nerves, and wore spiked cleats to jig on the edges of the wounds. "I was minding my own business." He repressed a cry of pain, but settled for swearing in many different languages.

"How did you get the energy to cast Burst Flare, anyway?" She began to work on the laceration closest to his heart. "Hell Blast almost killed you…" Suddenly she trailed off, noticing that his eyes had unfocused and his breathing had all but halted.

"Zelgadis?" Lina pulled the comatose chimera's head into her lap, brushing aside his metallic bangs to place her hand on his forehead. His skin burned with fever, and sweat beaded down his face. 

"Hurts." He hissed, his expression contorted with despair and agony. "Can't… breathe…can't…"

* Oh, no, he didn't… * She thought, panic blossoming in her heart. * Did he take the energy from his own life force? He couldn't have had enough left after the Hell Blast… Zelgadis, you idiot! Did you do this to save me? Zelgadis… please… stay. *

"…breathe…" The warmth began to fade from him as he lay absolutely motionless.

"Zel… don't do this!" She shook him, pressing her ear next to his chest, trying to find his heartbeat. She found nothing. "Zelgadis, don't die on me…"

No answer came. 

He was dead.

But a golden character was shining in his eyes.

  
Chapter Nine: Sigel: Essence of Life

Zelgadis heard his final heartbeat echo morbidly throughout his withdrawn consciousness.

* This is death? * He pondered. * It's so… anticlimactic… *

~ Runecaster. ~ Wyrd's familiar voice beckoned him. ~ Why are you in the Bardo? ~

* Bardo? *

~ You do not belong here. ~ Gold light caressed him, reawakening his senses. 

* What _is_ Bardo?* He demanded, searching for the source. 

~ It is the In Between, Runecaster. ~ Aureate gauze spun around him. ~ From here, all Runes are born. ~

* Born? * He realized, now, how sketchy the information in the Claire Bible was. * Are Runes… alive? *

~ Runes are only tools. ~ Wyrd replied. ~ We are but the Guide. Now you _must_ return to our body. ~

* Wait! I have more questions! *

~ Sigel. ~ The Runic Guide summoned an angular 'S'-shaped character, which danced before him, flickering like a giggling child. ~ Restore our Caster to his physical form, and heal his wounds. ~

* But there's still so much I want to know… * The Shaman's thought echoed hauntingly throughout the Bardo.

She pulled his body in the direction of the inn, lamenting that his weight was too much for her to carry. Hell, the chimera was too heavy for her to lift. Her magic was exhausted, and she still had two puncture wounds that she didn't have the energy to heal. 

"Zelgadis." She tugged on his arm, trying to release him from a snag of a tree root. "Why do you have to be so damn heavy?" She lost her grip on his smooth, cold hand and fell on her rear. She squeaked in shock, then crawled over tom him and laid down beside him, resting her head on his chest.

"I can't take you any further." She whispered. "I'll go get Gourry, he'll help. I'll come back for you. I promise." She opened her ruby red eyes, but was caught in his icy stare. His calm expression had replaced the twisted mask of pain. His sky blue skin had faded to the gray of the rainy day clouds.

"I promise." She sat up, and then gasped. 

Glittering aureate ribbons were wrapping themselves around his lean form, encasing it in a cocoon of shining lace. The material covered all of his body except his eyes, but a gold 's'-like symbol glowed behind those glacial depths. Once the ribbons had finished, their color dulled to amber, then auburn.

"What the hell is this?" She beat on it till her hands bled, clawed at it until her fingers were numb and raw. "Wha… Why… Zel… Zelgadis…"

Suddenly, the sign that glimmered in his eyes exploded into brilliance on his chest. 

He felt his heart begin to pound again, pumping the blood that burned in his next to frozen veins. His lungs felt like they were on fire from the very pits of Inferno, and his mouth was drier than any desert. He tried to breathe, tried to move, tried to do _anything_ , but found himself completely paralyzed.

* I'm going to die, * he realized. *I don't want to die! I won't die! If I could just move, I'll be okay…. Damn it, why cant I move?! *

~ Just wait a moment, my Caster. ~ Sigel spoke softly. ~ Your body hasn't healed yet. ~

*I need to move… * he didn't hear the Rune, panic sinking its poisonous claws deep into his chest.

~ Another minute my Caster, I beg of you! ~ Zelgadis slowly seemed to clam down. 

*Move…* His whimper was childlike. 

~ My Caster, it is almost finished! ~ 

* … I'm talking to a Rune… * The chimera forced himself to think rationally, even though his first reaction was to lash out. A warm, gentle feeling spread through his chest, soothing his tortured lungs. 

~ Peace, my Caster. The Runes are but your tools. ~

*Tools.*

~ Thank you, my Caster. ~

*For what?*

~ For unleashing us. ~

*Unleashing?*

Lina fell back on the ground as the shell around Zelgadis shattered, throwing bits of tattered gold every which way. Several shards landed on her, and she was amazed by the regenerative properties they possessed. From those tiny fragments, her remaining wounds were healed and her energy was rapidly returning. She glanced at her fallen friend, and was shocked to see him sitting up straight with one hand clasped tightly over his heart, breathing heavily. His wide cerulean eyes glittered with the last traces of the Runic magic, still hanging thickly around him like an aureate aura.

"Zel!" she cried, leaping forward to embrace him. 

"Lina?" He blinked, and was knocked over by the momentum of her jump. "What are you doing?"

"You were dead, but you're not anymore, right?" She let him up, offering her hand to help him get to his feet. 

"I believe that to be the truth." He accepted. "I think the Runes had something to do with it." His expression darkened after he finished brushing the dust off his clothes.

"The Runes?" Lina closed her eyes briefly, going into a more serious state of mind. "What happened?"

"I was sent back… by a Rune called Wyrd." He replied.

"Was that the one that looked like an 's'?" She drew it in the air with her finger, but Zelgadis shook his head.

"No, that was Sigel." He muttered. "I have no idea what Wyrd looks like."

  
Chapter Ten: Asa: Divine Conflict

The quarter moon shone down on the raven-hared being that knelt on the edge of the roof. Very, very slowly, blood-red eyes slipped open. Pale lips parted, and the figure spoke in a low, husky tone.

"Arbez has been executed. She addressed the blue cloaked figure who stood motionless behind her. "T'nepres, too."

~ Failure is not acceptable. ~ The second replied. ~ Have you an explanation? ~

"T'nepres almost succeeded." She continued. "The Runes interfered."

~ WHAT?! ~

"The last Runecaster has surfaced." The night breeze blew back her ebony tresses. "I doubt he realizes how much power he possesses."

~ Has he surpassed the girl? ~

"Not yet."

~ Destroy the Runecaster first. Replacements for Arbez and T'nepres will be arranged. Proceed as planned. ~

"Who are you sending?"

~Etoyoc and Drapoel. ~ The other turned to go. ~ And Kwah. ~

"Sir?"

~ Do not fail. ~

"Yes sir."

Stormy blue eyes, clouded with dark emotions, had found the subject of their focus to be distant and unresponsive. Said target had been concentrating on the same patch of wall for the majority of the morning meal, which, though easily missed by less observant people, did not slip by him. It was almost as if she were in some kind of trance…

"Good morning, all!" Xellos chirped, appearing out of nowhere in his usual manner. To the Trickster's dismay, none of them even acknowledged his presence. Lina was overly interested in wall, barely even eating. Zelgadis had his attention on the red head, which made for a very boring scene.

"I Rerooss!" Gourry waved, his mouth full. Okay, so one of them acknowledged him. 

"Gourry, what's wrong with the others?" The Mazoku gestured to the two unmoving spell-casters. "Lina isn't eating, and Rock-head isn't doing _anything_ ."

"Mmm…" 

"Well?"

"I dunno." The blonde shrugged. "They've been like this since they came down to breakfast."

"Lina…" The purple-hared priest gently shook said sorceress, and she violently snapped out of her trance.

"Wha—?!" She automatically smacked the closest person out of sheer instinct.

"ACK!" The cerulean-skinned chimera was thrown out of his chair by the force of the impact. "Oww…"

"What's the big idea?!" Lina snapped, angrily jabbing the Mazoku in the chest. "Why the hell did you do that?! I'm going to have a bruise from Zel's head!"

"So it's _my_ fault the fruitcake pulled yet another prank?" The tempest reflected in his eyes was the kind that sailors knew not to set out in, and made beach-dwellers scurry far inland.

"Good morning, Lina!" Xellos chirped. Zelgadis growled, and the surrounding temperature dropped ten degrees.

"Damned fruitcake…" Stone fingers twitched with rage, his rational mind reminding him that hurting the priest only pleasured him.

"Now, now, Zelgadis, play nice." Xellos chided. The contrast between the coldness Zelgadis radiated and the heat of his rage created a low-hanging mist that did not improve the tense atmosphere.

"Go. Away." Hard blue eyes narrowed, glittering like twin shards of ice. The trickster's eyes opened as instinct screamed at him to run. Something was glowing inside the chimera's eyes, but what? It was gold, that much he could identify, but no _man_ could ever gain the power of Nightmare magic. The Lord of Nightmares bestowed her true strength on women only, as she herself was the Mother of Chaos.

"And what if I say 'no'?" He sneered, his smile opening, then fading as a morbidly distorted smirk took over Zelgadis' expression. The aura of emotions that had only recently flared up now froze and vanished completely. Power seemed to be collecting in him as if he were some kind of vacuum.

"Zel?…" Lina's voice was sharp as she felt a strong tug on her magic. Gourry, ever dense, continued to eat without noticing that the chimera's eyes emitted light. 

"You forget who you are dealing with." Mazoku manifested magic nicked the underside of the rock hard throat, drawing a few drops of scarlet ichor. This last act put Zelgadis over the edge.

"You don't know who _you're_ dealing with." He chuckled, allowing shadows to hide his upper face. His smile was bordering on insanity, and the black garb didn't help to lessen the dark atmosphere he created. 

"Zel?" She refused to be scared. She wouldn't let this scare her, not this psychotic version of her best friend. She placed her hand on his arm to hopefully restrain him, but he jerked away as if she would infect him with a terminal disease. She refused to be hurt.

"Xellos Metallium," the shaman hissed, "that was your last mistake."

Amethyst caught glaciers, exchanging brief flashes of emotion. Fear. Anger. Anticipation. Hate. Curiosity. Bitterness.

"Zelgadis!" Ruby-red eyes flashed with ire.

"FINAL JUDGEMENT!" Zelgadis' hand dashed out, a line of golden energy shooting up Xellos' middle. The chimera suddenly twisted, pulling the runic magic into form; two aureate V's attached to the upper right hand corner of the line. The Mazoku screamed, and was only saved by his mistress' frantic intervention. 

Zelgadis only laughed.


	2. Book Two

Rune Golem

Rune Golem

Book 2

Chapter 1: Jera: Full Circle

He screamed as he sat straight up in bed, sweat lightly dotting his brow. His wide, fright filled eyes stared at his hands, terrified that a golden glow would mysteriously manifest there. 

"Zel?" A knock on the door did not help his tense mood. "Are you okay? I heard you screaming…"

"I'm fine, Lina." He sighed, and gave himself a mental kick for allowing his weakness to show. "Just bad dreams. Nothing out of the ordinary."

"For you, maybe." She snorted and turned to go, then glanced back and poked her head into his room. "Zel… just don't forget that you're my friend, and if you need me, I'll be there for you."

"Go back to bed, Lina." His voice gave no indication of his emotional status. "There's nothing you can do here." The red-head gazed at him a moment longer, trying to pierce his masquerade. Unable to do so, she finally let her shoulders sag and trudged from the chamber.

"L-sama." She growled, infuriated that he refused to acknowledge their friendship, even though they both knew his loyalty to her ran deeper than to his own blood. "He's got his damned masks wrapped so tightly they could choke him to death."

"I heard that," he called after her. She swore under her breath in response, fuming as she stormed back to her room.

The next morning, Zelgadis was already up and drinking coffee when Lina arrived downstairs. She shot him an irritated glare, which he ignored, then ordered enough food to sate an army for a week.

"So. Where are we headed?" She asked as soon as she was finished eating.

"We?!" The shaman nearly choked on his coffee. "What do you mean, 'we'? I'm going on alone!"

"You expect me to stick with Gourry, bombing bandits and the like, while you go face adventure and treasure alone?!" She scoffed.

"One can only hope…" He sighed.

"Hey!"

"Lina, the Runestones will be bringing me more trouble than we've seen in years." He shook his head wearily. "I refuse to allow you to follow me head first into danger, and besides, it's none of your business."

"The _Hell_ it isn't!" She slammed her fist on the table. "You think I'm going to let you walk around with a power signature that screams 'I dare you to attack me'?!" 

"Why not? My face inspires the same idea." He drummed his fingers idly, leaning on his elbow and looking violently bitter. "People see me and break out the pitch forks and torches."

"We've had this argument before, haven't we?" She groaned, and laid her head down as her headache made its re-entrance. "You say you're going, I say I'll come with you, you shoo me away and say it's none of my business, I'll say it is—" The door slammed loudly, allowing Lina to realize the person she had formally been conversing with had left. "—and you walk out anyway. Yup. Guess we've made a nice little rut for ourselves."

With a heavy sigh, she walked after him, leaving poor Gourry to pay the bill.

From the unseen depths of the astral plains, Xellos kept close watch on the spunky red-head and the would-be apathetic chimera. His usual smirk was gone, a curious but frustrated glare in its place. 

* So Rock head has a set of Runes… * he thought. That explained some questions, but raised too many more. How did _he_ get a hold of a full set? Xellos had thought that all the Runestone sets had been accounted for when they were destroyed. One or two stones may have escaped, but surely not a full set!

"I must report this at once!"

Zelgadis had only been traveling for a few hours before he started to feel guilty about walking away from his friend like that. When he realized the remorse was born out of friendship, he steeled his nerves and became more determined than ever not to turn around. If he turned back now, all the hard work he had spent distancing himself would be for nothing. And he flat out refused to let his feelings hurt himself or others.

A low growl-like chuckle drew him from his reverie.

"Well, well, well," the coarse yet familiar voice sneered. "Of all the people to walk into my town, the _traitor _makes a grand reappearance. But what's this? Where are your two lackeys? Have they deserted you, as you deserted us?"

"Didn't anyone ever teach you not to speak ill of the deceased, Dilgear?" Zelgadis drew his sword, barely masking his pain with scorn.

"Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that they've moved on." The green-furred troll-wolf descended from the trees, first sending a flurry of enchanted daggers to herald him. Several minor cuts were made on the shaman's face, arms and legs. The blue-skinned youth's hand darted out and grabbed the one aimed for his heart, dripping blood as the magiked blade cut into the softer flesh of his palm. Blue eyes froze over as aureate sparks shimmered on their surface. He lifted his sword, which shone faintly with a figure that resembled an angular 'J' with an extra line.

Dilgear charged the wounded chimera anyway, knowing his own sword ad been spelled to cut even Zelgadis' stone skin.

"Prepare to die, traitor!" The troll-wolf howled as contact was made.

The battle was over in that one round. For one horrible moment, which Lina was unfortunate enough to have to witness, both combatants were motionless. The sword fighters had defied time and space with their skill, and their efforts finally came to show.

The left side of Zelgadis' abdomen had been sliced open, deeply. Blood was quickly coming from the nearly fatal wound. Had Dilgear pierced any farther, the Shaman would have been looking for a wheelchair.

Dilgear did not fair nearly as well as the chimera. The wound cauterized as it was made, the half0troll's head fell to the ground disconnected from his body.

Pain caught up with Zelgadis before he could do much more than turn, and he fell to the ground. The immense agony had caused his mind to shut down.

"Zelgadis!" Lina had to scream. "Not again!"

  
Chapter 2: Haegl: Obstructed Tsunami

When Zelgadis opened his sapphire hued eyes and was nearly blinded by the mid-morning sunlight, he did the only thing he could; he swore loudly and colorfully. Lina, who was sitting on the floor beside him, snapped awake.

"Oh, you're conscious again. Good." With that said she grabbed him by the front of the his shirt and shook him violently. "DO YOU KNOW HOW WORRIED I WAS ABOUT YOU?! Dumb-ass, I was terrified that you were going to bleed to death in the middle of nowhere before I could get your wound fixed up!"

"I didn't ask for your help." He shoved away from her. He glanced around at the sparse surroundings; a make-shift futon of straw and cotton bags, which he was laying on, and a small hearth with a fire in it. Other than the empty window and broken door, there were no other furnishings of any kind.

"L-sama, do you really think so little of me, Zelgadis?" Lina's ruby-red eyes narrowed on the chimera as she awaited his answer. "I'm human, Zel. I've got feelings, just like you."

"No." He snorted, shakily getting to his feet and inspecting the side of his abdomen that had been wounded. "You have feelings, just like Amelia, Gourry, or Syphiel. I have no human emotions."

"Don't you?" She mocked. "You forget how well I know you, Zelgadis Greywers. I've seen you laugh with us, feel guilty, embarrassed, or compassion. I have yet to see a golem display those traits. I doubt that's where they originated from."

He glared at her a minute, trying to shred her mask of confidence with his glacial eyes.

"Leave me alone." He moved to leave, but she latched onto his arm.

"No! Not until you stop pretending to be a monster!" She yelled, almost regretting that she had restored his mobility.

"What did you think I was, Lina?" He snapped, trying to shake her off. "Some kind of person with actual feelings? My emotions are anger and hate. Now leave me alone!"

"I suppose that means you hate… me?" her voice had gone quiet suddenly, sending chills up and down Zelgadis' spine. "You're my friend, Zel. One of my few, true friends. I trust you, care about you. Did you know that every time you go off on your own, you're hurting all of us? We all like you, Zel. The gang's not complete without you. It's you we all worry about. You're always alone, even when you don't have to be. Zelgadis, we'd be your friends, if you'd only let us…"

For a long minute, the shaman didn't know what to say. What the sorceress said had truth, but what had it cost her to pay it? Spilling one's inner emotions like she had just done always came with a high price. 

"Let me go, Lina." He hadn't realized he spoke out loud till a faint 'no' escaped her lips. "I am not to be kept."

"What are you to be, then?" She only tightened her grip. "You're my friend…"

"I am exactly what I appear to be." His icy stare was more jagged than a blizzard's icicles. His soft, low voice was hard to catch as the last words were lifted into the air. "A monster."

Lina was very tempted to fireball some sense into that thick skull of his, but knew it wouldn't do any good.

"Will you stop calling yourself that?!" She shrieked.

"But it's the truth." Now his calm facade was back in place, covering all his emotions like a heavy curtain that no one could push aside.

"No, it's not!" She relinquished her hold on his arm, but shifted stances before he could react. Instead of clinging to his mar like a child, she embraced him like a friend. 

A swell of confusion, happiness, and compassion welled up quickly, but he struck it down with his mental mallet, 'Basher-of-All-Things-Good'. And of course, his emotional barrier of guilt and frustration kept any fragments from getting through to him.

"Lina." He said coolly. "Let go. Please."

"I'm not going to let you walk off and forget about the people who care about you, Zelgadis." She protested. "Next time, you may not be so lucky. I was here, but if you keep abandoning us this way, who'll be there when you get hurt so bad that you pass out?"

"I can take care of myself," he snorted. "I don't need you patronizing me."

"Don't you know how much it will hurt us if you die?"

"Don't you know how little I care?"

The ruby eyed sorceress froze, barely even breathing. His words hung in the air like a death sentence, bringing with them the fear and realization that he might _not _give a damn about her or Amelia or Gourry. And that thought _hurt_.

"The irony of this situation is quite interesting…" He commented as he slipped away.

"How so?" Her whisper hid her anger well. He _dared_ to hurt _her_?! He wasn't even sorry…

"Don't you remember this place, Lina?" He paused at the doorway to await her reply. "This is the town where you and I made peace those many years ago. Odd, how it has never changed over time. Too much like me, I guess."

"Empty?" She fixed her crimson stare on him as he moved. 

"Very." He closed the half- unhinged door behind him as he left. He didn't look back once. Lina stared at the panel, her expression making up for her silence. Pissed off was an understatement for her temperament. A crimson aura of rage radiated from her like light from the sun. 

"BURST FLARE!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, letting waves of flame engulf the fragile house. The tsunami spread quickly through the deserted town, consuming anything and everything it touched. 

Zelgadis stood still, his advanced senses feeling the power of the Burst Flare before it touched him. He flexed his hand, reopening the wound from Dilgear's dagger. He grimaced in pain, and summoned Isa to halt the pyre. The Rune, however, didn't stop it. It _devoured_ it.

  
Chapter 3: Ehwaz: On the Run

The gray-haired, crimson-eyed martial-artist called Etoyoc fell to the ground at Zelgadis' feet… in three pieces. The shaman kicked the mercenary's decapitated head a short distance away, then toasted it. His recent experience with a certain troll-wolf had taught him that it was best to completely destroy the body to make it as inconvenient as possible for your enemy, should they be revived. He proceeded to hack and burn the corpse, for the most part ignoring what went on around him. 

Ignoring, that is, until Lina was noisily sick behind him.

He sighed, and turned to the sorceress, whom he had been unable to shake since Isa had devoured her Burst Flare.

"Zel…" She winced. "Is that really necessary?" The pyro-happy magic user looked positively green. He stared expressionlessly at her for a moment.

"Yes." He nodded, and then returned to his gruesome activity. Lina was ill all over again.

"Hey, Zel…." She asked, _much_ later, as they walked alongside the road. 

"… what…" he seemed to be reluctant to hold conversation.

"Where are we going?"

"… south."

"South?"

"Yes."

"What's your interest in the south? Find a new lead?"

"… no… just feel like it."

"We're following your whim?"

"Yes."

"Oh brother."

"You're the one following me, so stop complaining."

"…"

"Much better."

Not so far away, Kwah observed their interaction silently. The blonde man behind her paced not-so-silently.

"Arbez was expendable. That fat bastard should never had been one of us in the first place." His scarlet eyes flashed angrily as he ranted. "T'nepres was more valuable. He could maintain Ruby-Eye Blade for an extended period of time. But Etoyoc!" Grief crossed his face. The raven-hared swords-woman glanced back at him and raised her eyebrow.

"What about Etoyoc?" she deadpanned, knowing he would have told her anyway.

"Etoyoc was such a great fighter!" The man's aura oozed hero-worship. "He should have been undefeatable! I'll bet that Runecaster fought dirty. No one could beat Etoyoc in fair combat!" 

Kwah sighed and shook her head.

"Drapoel, it was a _fair_ fight." She fixed him with an Anti-Hero-Worship-Stare. "If anyone was fighting dirty, it was Etoyoc."

"No way!" Drapoel argued vehemently. "Etoyoc would _never_ do something like that!"

"Maybe if you had watched the fight instead of setting up a victory part, you'd understand what I'm talking about." She sweat-dropped.

Drapoel huffed indignantly and sharpened the two-foot long claws that attached to his gloves. 

"Zel… I'm hungry…" Lina whined for the third time in the last two minutes. Zelgadis debated on snapping back that it wasn't his problem, but remembered that Lina would _make_ it his problem. 

"Unless you feel like hunting down enough small game to fill you up, you'll have to wait until we get to a town." He scowled as he glanced back at her. "We're a week's walk away from Mt. Suivusev; no animal large enough to feed you is dumb enough to live on the outskirts of a wasteland-to-be. They seem to realize that it isn't smart to live in the same neighborhood as volcanoes."

"So now we're off to see Suivusev?" Lina countered with her skeptical glance.

"If you have a problem with my itinerary, you're free to leave." His frown deepened. "No one's forcing you to come."

"Ha!" she snorted. "If I left now, you'd probably take the opportunity to jump in!"

"I'm depressed, not suicidal." He glared at her. 

"Right."

"Lina…"

"Die, Runecaster!" Their argument was interrupted by a flaxen-haired, ruby-eyed, claw-toting warrior who attempted to slash out Zelgadis' face. The stunned chimera swiftly slipped into an 'X' block, hoping the metal of the claws wasn't enchanted. It was, and the angle of the attack left three bloody trails across the top of his left hand.

"FIREBALL!" Lina shot flame at the attacker, but it dissipated against some kind of shield.

"This is between the Runecaster and me, so stay out!" The blonde lashed out at her, but the chimera used his inhuman speed and intercepted.

There was a clash of metal against metal, and all three gazed in shock as the gold symbol of Isa raced up the shaman's bracers. Crimson eyes filled with rage, and the blonde roared in anger.

"Revenge for the Lamina clan!" Zelgadis winced, and ducked under another attack. He twisted around, grabbed Lina by the waist, and hauled his stone ass out of there.

"Damn you, Runecaster…" Drapoel snarled, running after them. "I'll see that you pay for this! Etoyoc shall be avenged!"

The fact that the shaman was employing demonic speed made Drapoel eat his dust.

  
Chapter 4: Berkana: Grove of Dreams

Pain burned in Zelgadis' lungs as he dropped to the ground, the petite sorceress in his arms tumbling over the mossy clearing carpet. They laid still for what seemed like eternity, the only sounds being those of their heavy breathing.

"Zel?" She finally spoke. "You okay?"

"… no." He managed to gasp, annoyed by the question. *Of course I'm not okay! I just ran four days' travel in little over three hours, with a passenger! Hell, it'll be a miracle if I'm 'okay' anytime within the next twenty-four hours!*

"You're not …not going to go into cardiac arrest and die, are you?" She crawled over to him and checked his pulse. Strong, even and fast, his heart showed no sign of going into arrest.

"Hope not." He greedily took in the fresh air, eyes closed against light. 

"Good, then let's take the rest of the day easy so you can recover." She collapsed next to him, falling asleep almost immediately. Unable to follow suit, Zelgadis could only watch the blessed peace settle over her.   


For at least an hour, he could do nothing but breathe and watch. During this time, he noticed Lina gravitated towards the warmest object around, which, unfortunately, was him. Exhaling loudly as she wound her self into the crook of his arm, he briefly pondered his imminent execution by the red-head. Then, at last, he slept.

Zelgadis' dreams were, as usual, nightmare. The shattered bodies of his comrades lay strewn over the battle field, a testimony to the power of his enemy. He reached for the tiny spark of hope hidden deep within his emotional reserves, only to find his opponent had stolen it as well.

"You should have given up while you had the chance, Runecaster." The man in the blue cloak laughed, shaking his hostage like a rag doll. "All these deaths are your fault, now. Think of it, they wouldn't have died if you hadn't fought us."

"Shut up…" he growled. "Shut up, _shut up_, **shut up!**" 

"Your fault." The man sneered, throwing the limp body to the chimera's feet. "Especially that one."

Horror was all he knew, staring into the glassy scarlet pools of her dead eyes. 

"Damn you to the thirteenth pit of HELL!" Zelgadis screamed his rage over the death of his closest friend. His aura spiked dangerously, hints of gold on the carmine and ebony energy. The cloaked man was not startled in the least when the shaman charged him, blade unsheathed.

"A foolish choice," he laughed, sidestepping the attack. Zelgadis' "lucky streak" held strong, and he quickly found out the hard way that there was now a large pit into a lake of liquid rock. Heat from the volcano seared his face as he balanced precociously on the edge, barely having stopped in time. The caped man sighed in disappointment, then grabbed the dead sorceress' body and threw it at the shaman. The corpse hit him in the back, sending him reeling into the drop. By sheer grace of L-sama he was able to grab the ledge. 

"Persistent little bastard, aren't you?" The voice that mocked him was one he had feared he wouldn't hear again. "Just couldn't die like you were supposed to, could you?" The heel of her boot came down hard on his hand, and his eyes were filled with shock and pain.

"L-L-Lina…" He stuttered, almost losing his grip. Hadn't she been dead just a moment ago?

"It's your fault I died, damn you!" she swore, kneeling over him. "They wouldn't have slaughtered all those innocent people if you had died when you were supposed to; they wouldn't have killed _me_."

"I-I-I…" he gulped as she lifted him up by the collar of his shirt until they were face to face. 

"You could have prevented all this bloodshed, Runecaster." She snarled. "It's all your fault."

Zelgadis' lips twisted involuntarily into a corrupted smile, his lowered head causing shadows to become a visor to his face. His shoulders trembled with the mad laughter building inside him, and he began to shake violently in his attempt to contain the sound. 

"What are _you_ laughing at?" she demanded, roughly jolting him.

"Lina _never_ calls me Runecaster." His voice was hoarse as he grinned psychotically. "You can't be Lina. And if you're not Lina…"

She took a step back as his eyes glowed like molten gold.

"Then we won't regret killing you!" He laughed like a madman, aureate waves of destruction bombarding the false Lina. A scream, and the red haired imposter was ripped apart on a molecular level.

"Hate you…" Her last words echoed hauntingly through the chasm of his dream.

"Hate me, he breathed. "Hate me, _hate_ me, _hate me_!" He screamed, tearing his throat raw with the force of the cries. "**_HATE ME!_**"

"Zel!" A sharp pain in his left cheek broke him from his slumber, and his sapphire eyes flew open.

"Lina!" he drew in a sharp breath, relaxing as she crossly whapped him upside the head with a mysteriously appearing bunny slipper.

"Dammit, Zel, how am I supposed to get any sleep?!" She snapped. "You're screaming 'hate me' at the top of your lungs, it's a wonder you didn't blow out your vocal cords."

"I… I'm sorry." He cracked a weak smile, trying to put her at ease.

"More nightmares?" She arced a slender copper eyebrow, sarcasm thick in her voice. 

"Yeah…" he blushed, averting his attention. "It's still dark; we can probably get a few more hours' sleep…"

The flustered sorceress flopped over on her side and wrapped herself tighter in her cloak. A small sweatdrop rolled down the side of his face as he sighed and laid down. But the young shaman did not sleep again that night; he merely waited for the sunrise with apathetic eyes.

  
Chapter 5: Othila: Legacy of Blood

"Shit!!!" The obscenity echoed loudly throughout the inn, much to the dismay of mothers everywhere. "That hurts!"

"It's supposed to, you big blue dork," an annoyed voice replied. "That's how you know it's working, so just grin and bear it."

"…" Zelgadis gave his slender companion a Look.

"Okay, forget the grinning. Just bear it." She shrugged, sending disinfectant running down his arms. "You didn't have to fight that clawed guy, anyway."

Another explicit scream pierced the air.

"Dammit!" He jerked away vehemently. "You're supposed to dab the wound, not drown it!"

"Well, sorry!" She glared back at him. "I was only trying to help." 

"I didn't ask for your help." He snapped.

"_You_ never ask for _anyone's_ help," she shot back. "I still say you should have blasted him."

"Hn."

"You know, we've got this nice little pattern formed." She tightly knotted one of his bandages. "Every time you go off on your own, you end up getting hurt. This time you were lucky, but the other times you were seriously injured! You have to stop walking out on your friends."

"You're not my boss, Lina," he snorted. "Stop thinking you can order me around and I'll obey."

"Zelgadis Greywers, you are _impossible_!" She slugged him across the face, ripping open the skin of her knuckles, then stormed out the door.

"Shit…" he groaned and picked himself up off the floor. Behind him, all conversation died. A plate crashed to the floor in the silence.

"G-G-Greywers?!" The waitress who had been holding it stared at the black clad figure in awe. "M-M-Master Greywers?!"

Zelgadis froze. He hadn't been called 'master' in years, not since Zolf and Rodimus…

"It _is_ Master Greywers!" another person gasped. 

"Summon the elder!"

"Master Greywers has returned!"

"After a thousand years…"

"Master Greywers!"

"He has come to fulfill the propriety!"

"That's prophecy, not propriety!"

"Where is the elder?"

"Our Lord has come to claim his legacy!" 

"Oh, wow, can I have your autograph?"

__

WHAP!

"C'mon, Libby-chan. No more sugar for you."

"I swear I'll never lie, cheat, steal, or feed my wife's liver and onion casserole to the dog again, just don't let him hurt me!"

"Where the Hell is the elder?!"

"Silence!" All eyes turned to the diminutive figured perched on a staff behind the confused chimera. The blue skinned youth gaped at the withered old woman who glared at him through thick glasses.

"Ah…" he flinched. "Excuse me?"

"So. You are the one." She gave him a quick once over. "The one who will claim the legacy of Gray War. Yes, it makes perfect sense… you resemble him so…"

"What?" he backed up a step nervously. "Legacy of Gray War?"

"Yes, yes, the Legacy of Sidag Gray War, leader of our people, and last of the legendary Runecasters." The elderly leader poked him in the center of the chest with a single gnarled finger. "You _must_ be the one, you share his name and his appearance…" She gestured to the barkeeper, who reached up and pulled the dust cloth from a large painting on the wall.

Zelgadis hit the floor in shock. The man in the picture looked almost exactly like him, except for three small details. One, where Zelgadis' hair was cut at the nape of his neck, the other's was gathered in to a long pony tail. Two, while they both had blue skin, Sidag Gray Wars had elaborate tattoos in the places where Zelgadis had extra rocks. Lastly, the man in the portrait had golden runes inscribed on the edge of his ebony cape, even though their outfits were otherwise identical.

"After the Kouma War, our people were lost, nomads." She told him. "We had no place to go, no way of getting food or shelter. Then Lord Gray Wars came and used his powers to help our ancestors establish this city His leadership brought us victory in battle after battle, from which we took the means to build our homes." While she was talking, Zelgadis noticed that the past Runecaster was in quite an unusual, if not disturbing, pose. He stood with one foot resting on solid, blood-stained ground, and the other on a charred human skull. Upon further inspection, the shaman was horrified to find that it was not _terra firma _that the man was on, rather, it was a sea of decaying corpses.

The chimera stumbled back, nausea stirring wildly within him.

"Lord Gray Wars ruled us for almost a century before old age did him in." The crone chuckled. "A fine leader he was. And now that you're hear, his legacy will live on!" She cackled, quite madly, and it was all the poor blue-eyed youth could do to keep from vomiting. 

* A man who ruled through war and blood… and they want me to take his legacy?! No way! * his thoughts made no difference, however, since the hag practically dragged him with her to the city hall.

"Here you go!" An equally withered and aged man handed a large box to the old woman, and pushed a clipboard towards Zelgadis. "Just sign on the dotted line." The shaman reluctantly did as he was told, then accepted the package.

"Good luck!" She called, ushering abruptly to the outskirts of the city. Still stunned by the speed that all this had occurred in, the chimera made no obvious objections. Confused, sore, and tired, he meandered along the road to search for a place to sleep it all off.

"This legacy shit can wait until morning," he grumbled and closed his eyes.

  
Chapter 6: Chimera on the Brain

"…thick-skulled… cold… unfeeling jerk!" The petite red-haired sorceress slammed her mug on the bar and yelled. "Barkeeper! Gimme another!"

"I think you've had enough, miss." The barkeep, being the most uninformed man alive outside of Gourry, tried to ease the glass away from Lina Inverse.

Moments later, she was helping herself to the alcohol, and the bar tender was being treated for third degree burns. 

"It's not like having a friend would kill the moron…" She grumbled, totally ignorant to the blue-cloaked man who sat down beside her. "Dammit, why won't he quit trying to detach himself?!"

"Perhaps you should let him go?" The cloaked figure suggested. She glared at the speaker, sizing him up while considering his words.

"Right. Give up one of my three _best_ friends?" She snorted. "Fat chance."

"The way you speak of him doesn't make him seem to be one of your three _best_ friends," he replied.

"Zel can be a real jerk sometimes, but he's trustworthy and loyal." She downed another mug of ale.

"He seems to cause you a great deal of pain…"

"Only when he pulls that 'colder than thou' crap…"

"Is he really worth the agony?"

"He's one of the few people who can understand me." She narrowed her gaze. "One of the few people who I can really talk to."

"I see," he nodded. "Such a person is worth his weight in gold."

"He wouldn't agree to that idea," she scowled, mentally calculating the large fortune Zelgadis would be worth if that statement were true. 

"And why is that?" 

"Let's just say he's not a 'people person'…"

"And this justifies his treatment of you?"

"Hell no!" She laughed as she banged her glass on the counter again. "Ha. Look at me. Sitting in a bar in L-sama knows where, halfway to being drunk off my ass, and spilling my guts to a perfect stranger!"

* Oh no, * he thought, * your guts have not yet begun to fall! *

"Isn't that what a bar is for?" This he said aloud. "To unload your problems on people who have no bias on your situation?"

"Huh," she shrugged. "Hadn't thought of it like that."

"Many do not," he replied. "So. What do you intend to do about this 'friend' of yours?"

"I'm gonna march right up to him, whack him over the head with a sledge-hammer, and give him a piece or three of my mind!" She ground her fist into her palm for emphasis. "But first, I gotta go find him."

"An excellent strategy." Her still sober drinking partner agreed.

Zelgadis sat with his head in his hands, the contents of the box scattered around him carelessly. His dull blue eyes stared listlessly at the three objects he had 'inherited'; the rune-embroidered cape from the painting, a crimson jewel cloak clasp with Uruz engraved on it, and a black journal with a strange kind of lock.

"Why me?" he wondered absently. "I don't remember asking for any of this. Did I ask to be born with a crazy and ludicrously over-powered great/grandfather? No. Did I ask him to grant me strength by turning me into a monster? No! Did I ask to have a hand in the destruction of psycho clones, stupid Mazoku, or Demon Lords?! I don't fucking think so!

"Why me?"

Meanwhile, Xellos was having the crap kicked out of him by the Beast Master.

"Fool! How could you allow such an important thing to slip by your notice?!" She screamed, stripping him of his powers and beating him mercilessly.

"Forgive me, master!" The trickster cried, his physical form heavily damaged. "The Rune Purisaz, it shielded him from me! I was unable to determine the source of his power until just recently!"

"You _must_ destroy the Runecaster, Xellos." She growled. "At any cost. Should he discover the method for creating Runestones, or worse yet, should he unlock that set's true power… The consequences will be great." She restored his abilities and stormed out of her great hall in search for some other method to vent her stress.

"My lord Korongar ," Kwah bowed low to the blue-cloaked figure as he exited the tavern. 

"She is thoroughly inebriated," he said plainly. "Bring her to me at the fort. Alive."

"Alive?" The ebony-haired sword-slinger looked up sharply, deeply shocked by her master's orders. "To the fort? But... my lord…"

Korongar turned his blood-colored eyes on her with cool disinterest.

"But what, Kwah?" he questioned.

"…She has killed four others of our clan, both mage and warrior."

"The Runecaster killed them, not her."

"Is she not capable of it?"

"Are you questioning my judgement, Kwah?" His eyes narrowed menacingly. "Do you not think you can handle the task?"

"I _can_ do it, my liege… I am sorry I doubted your decision."

"Good. Now, go. I must find the Runecaster before she does and dispose of him."

"Milord…"

"What _is_ it, Kwah?" Korongar spun around and snapped at her. 

"Safe journey, milord." She flinched, then disappeared in a blur of ebony and emerald.

"……" He scowled and sighed. "Impossible child… What will be done with you?"

  
Chapter 7: Inguz: Extra Effort

The Devious Desperados (who were considering changing their name) tramped back to their camp feeling rather full of themselves, having just made off with some poor merchant's money. 

"And remember how he begged us to leave him enough to feed his family?" One of them laughed boastfully.

"Yeah, and then the boss ran him through the side and watched him bleed to death while he counted the loot..."A second chuckled. The two watchmen halted suddenly when they looked up and saw a black-cloaked figure standing in the middle of the road like a detached shadow come to life. 

"So _you_ are the ones responsible for the slaughter on the road," the shadow spoke with a dangerously soft, yet masculine voice. 

"Who are you?" The leader pushed his way to the front, drawing his sword. 

"Quite a mess, really." The figure shook his head. "A genuine shame, what you did to that man."

"What do you want?" The outlaws grew nervous as the living shadow approached them, glowing golden eyes shining brightly in his dark hood. 

"I'll make a deal with you." He walked silently, as if gliding mere inches over the ground. "Sometime in the near future, a red headed girl will be coming this way. She'll either be traveling alone, or with a purple-haired priest. Avoid them if possible, but do not under any circumstances tell them which way I go. Do this, and I'll spare your lives."

"Why should we listen to you?" The head thief sneered. Aureate lit eyes turned on him, blazing with power. For a brief moment, the shade's after-image flickered in place. By the time it had faded, the leader lay on the ground with his neck snapped. 

"Anyone else have any questions?" Zelgadis glared at the remaining bandits, practically daring them to move. 

"We didn't see nothing, mister!" One of them whimpered. "Nothing at all!"

"Make sure it stays that way, or I'll see to it you have to adjust your definition of pain." He didn't really like having to resort to scare tactics, but he didn't want Lina following him to Suivusev if it could be prevented. 

With an air of darkness still shrouding him, he continued deeper into the forest. 

The Desperados had barely caught their breaths when a slender red headed girl stormed towards them. Beside her was a floating man dressed as a priest, who's straight purple hair threw shadows over his face. 

Remembering the dark man's warning, they scrambled to hide, but weren't quick enough. 

"Ah-hah!" The girl grabbed the second in command by the collar and delivered a screwdriver kick to his spleen. Paralyzed by the pain, the burly man could do nothing but start crying. 

"Nice form, Lina-chan," the priest sweat-dropped. "He'll be feeling that one long in to next week…"

"Now, who wants to tell me which way he went?" She chirped. The outlaws trembled in fear, but remained silent. She scowled, and blasted them with a weak Dil Brando. _That_ loosened their tongues. 

"Which way who went?" One queried. 

"We haven't seen anyone all day!" Another shook.

"You're the first people on the road since yesterday!" A third cried. 

"How come I don't believe you?" She smiled sweetly at the three before sending them to meet their maker. 

"Yare, yare, Lina-chan," Xellos sighed. "Now there's a big mess in the road. Couldn't you be a bit _neater_ about this? Other people have to use the road too, you know. " Her face went red for a moment, then she threw a fireball at him. 

"Shut up, fruitcake." She grumbled. "Now, which way did the guy dressed all in black go?" The bandits all pointed in separate directions until she torched six more of them. The last one standing quickly gave her directions, and was roasted for his earlier lack of cooperation. Xellos watched with mild bemusement, drinking in the man's pain and Lina's anger at Zelgadis.

"Oh, when I get my hands on him…" she grumbled, following the chimera's path.

Lord Korongar of the Lamina clan watched the fate of the ill-lucked outlaws with shadowed eyes. Pikes-man Yarat 'Nam and archer Tenroh knelt at his right and left, respectively, while Kwah brought up the flank. 

"She has found a new traveling companion." He noted aloud. Yarat 'Nam and Tenroh exchanged worried glances, both knowing the doom that awaited them if she combined forces with the man in black. "It looks like Sollex."

"What?" Tenroh inhaled sharply. "Sollex, as in the first Lord of the Lamina clan, Sollex the Enigma?"

"Who vanquished the first Runecaster, then disappeared into legend shortly before the Kouma war?" Yarat 'Nam tightened his grip on his weapon. "_That_ Sollex?"

Korongar nodded. 

"Milord, the man with her is Xellos Metallium, Trickster Priest and General under Beast Master Zelas Metallium." Kwah stated. "His first recorded appearance was during the Kouma war, where he nearly annihilated the Gold Dragon Race. Is… Is it possible that he…"

"Could be none other than our own long-lost Sollex?" Korongar finished for Kwah. "Perhaps. Only Time will tell."

  
Chapter Eight: Mannaz: The Key to Humanity

Smoke billowed from the opening of Mt. Suivusev, a sign that the ancient volcano was still very much alive. Zelgadis merely watched it send its warning signals to the town below, desperately trying to alert them before it was too late. 

"Fools," he snorted, pulling his hood farther up. "To live in a place where their destruction lies imminent…" 

A sharp pain at his collar-bone diverted his attention to the new clasp on his cloak. Sidag Gray Wars' clasp had been left to him because of their common power…

"What the…?" Zelgadis scowled. The symbol of Uruz glowed golden against the crimson gem, fairly pulsing with energy. His confusion only turned to frustration as an all too familiar voice called out:

"Hey! Zel!"

He groaned inwardly as Lina ran up to him, then leaned on his shoulder while trying to catch her breath. 

"What are you doing here?" he asked quietly, glaring at Xellos. "And why in the world did you bring _that_?"

"Awww, Zel-kun, I'm hurt…" Xellos mock-pouted, drawing more ire to the surface of the Shaman's attitude.

"Not yet, you're not…" The chimera growled and reached for his sword, but Lina gave him a _Look_.

"Zel…" She decided that currently, the best idea was to change the subject. "Why the hell are you at Suivusev, anyway?"

"I felt like it." He shrugged. "As I said before, I don't have to explain myself to you."

Lina fixed him with another _Look_, but this one was ignored. He was already walking into town, and, with a frustrated groan, Lina followed. 

"Ne, Zel-kun, that was a bit cold, don't you think?" Xellos teleported next to Zelgadis, hovering just a tiny bit out of arms length. "I mean, what if you died in your sleep tonight, and never even got a chance to say goodbye?" Your last words to Lina-chan would be in anger!" 

"Is that a threat?" The blue-eyed Shaman recognized the dual meaning in Xellos' phrasing. 

"Maybe it is, and maybe it isn't, Runecaster," the Trickster hissed, then reappeared by Lina. 

"That's a threat." He glared back for a moment, then snorted. 

That thought hung over Zelgadis' head for the rest of the day, leaving him in a worse mood than before. He pondered about it at the pub while Lina went shopping, mulled over it in the baths, and was still picking at it when dinner arrived. Lina had just about enough of his 'moping', especially when he began to drum his fingers on the table. 

"For L-sama's sake, Zel, can't you lighten up a bit?!" She slammed her ale mug on the table, almost breaking the table in the process. 

Zelgadis looked up, quite startled at her outburst. His gemstone eyes glittered, and then he slumped in exhaustion. 

"I'm sorry, Lina, but I've got a little too much on my mind to 'lighten up'." He jerked back up as Lina emptied the remains of her cider on his head. "LINA!!!"

Behind him, Xellos snickered. Zelgadis elbowed him sharply, inflicting quite a good deal of damage, since he was seated and the Trickster was standing. The Mazoku crumpled to the ground with a high-pitched squeak. Most of the other men in the tavern winced in sympathy-pain until he leapt back up and asked 'for another'. 

The Shaman fell out of his chair in shock. One could almost see the steam coming out of his ears. With patience stretched to the very limit, he climbed to his feet, muttered good-night, and swore under his breath constantly as he mounted the stairs. 

"Zel…" Lina watched him go with concern and irritation, then Fireball-ed Xellos. "Damn you, why do you always have to get in the way when I think I'm getting through to him?!"

"Sore wa himitsu desu," the priest chortled, then disappeared again.

"Ooooo!" She fumed, then stormed outside to find some more bandits to fry.

In the corner of the pub, a dark-haired woman stood and followed her out. The blue-caped man with her smirked and left the payment on the table before vanishing as well. 

*What the hell is wrong with you?!* Zelgadis thought furiously at his pendant, which had once again began to cause pain in his chest. * Sidag Gray Wars, wherever you are in your next life, I hope someone kicks your ass for creating this damn thing!* He flung it across the room in his wrath, and was more than a little surprised when it landed neatly on the lock of the book. The latch glowed brightly for a moment, and the tome burst open with golden light streaming from its pages. 

"What the hell?" He shielded his eyes from the intense light, slowly drawing closer to it. The light faded off when he was halfway to his target. He tentatively stretched one hand out to the book, half afraid it would leap up and latch onto his hand with tiny but strong fangs. A few pages flipped, their edges glittering like gold. When a blank page came up, the motion stopped, and writing began to appear in a blood-red ink.

Suivusev, its secret will hold

Till mountain fire tastes blood of gold

What human would be, enter the flame

What goes in is never the same

Zelgadis read the words silently, his sapphire gaze carefully absorbing the text's meaning. Experience had taught him caution that bordered on paranoia, but still, it deserved further investigation…

  
Chapter 9: Gebo: Sacrificed Pride, Sacrificed Hearts

"I'm going to the peak of Suivusev this afternoon," Zelgadis announced at breakfast the next morning. Lina's knife a fork slipped from her numbed grasp, but the Shaman paid no attention. Instead, he calmly buttered a piece of toast. Xellos munched a pastry, looking somewhat harrowed.

"WHAT?!" The sorceress' voice returned quickly, and she promptly began to bellow at the chimera. "How can you just sit there and deliver news like that as if you were talking about the neighbor's dog having a liter of puppies?! This is important!"

"How so?" He replied.

"Damn it, Zel, you're going it o the top of the world's largest active, magic-nullifying volcano!" She screamed. "What the hell do you mean, 'how so'?!?!?!" 

"I'm not afraid of Suivusev, Lina." He shrugged. "It's just a volcano."

"Zelgadis…." She growled. "I'm going up with you." Her glare hardened to the same kind of impenetrable facets of rubies, reflecting light in her anger. 

"No, you're not."

"Yes, I am."

"_No_, you're _not_."

"_Yes_, I _am_."

"Children, behave yourselves. " Xellos teased, earning himself identical glares. 

"Mind your own business, fruitcake!" They socked him, still in synch.

"There's no reason for you to go up Suivusev!" The chimera exclaimed to the red head.

"There's no reason for _you_ to go up, either!" She shot back.

Zelgadis nearly bit his tongue off in effort to keep from screaming obscenities at her. His resolve held fast only a minute longer, though, and when it snapped, his temper exploded like a Fireball in a haystack.

"Listen, you," he snarled, getting up in anger. "I've been putting up with your nagging and complaining all week. I don't know _how_ Gourry can stand it 24/7, but I am _not_ your sidekick, and you can _not_ tell me what to do and expect me to obey. I have stated this _many_ times, and yet you still follow me around and criticize everything I do! I am _sick_ and _tired_ of this rut we're in, and I'm ending it _now_!"

"Zelgadis!" She snapped back. "_I_ am sick and tired of listening to _you_ gripe about how much your life sucks and how I wouldn't understand what you're going through! For the past week I have been supportive and let you go on your self-destructive rants, but I think there isn't a person on this side of the world who won't agree with me when I say that there's no reason for you to keep doing this! Every time I think we make a little bit of progress, you set your heels into the ground and refuse to budge your stone ass!"

""Keep doing what? Trying to keep some bit of my life under my control?!" His narrowed glare countered hers, each knowing the others' limits quite well. "What the hell were you expecting from me?"

"You're always doing this!" Lina screamed. "_You're_ the one who causes al your pain by holding onto your dark thoughts and memories! Open your eyes, moron. You'll get a lot more control without those damn blinders of depression and obsession blocking your view of life."

"Nice metaphor, Lina-chan," Xellos interrupted. She absently kicked him in irritation. 

"Forget it." Zelgadis snorted in disgust. "I don't know why I bothered to tell you." He started to leave, but something connected with the back of his head.

"Damn it, Zelgadis, I'm trying to talk to you!" Lina cried. "Sit your ass back down and _at least_ listen to me!" The blue-skinned Shaman turned slowly, staring at the floor. His foot brushed against something sharp, and his gaze focused on the shattered remains of one of Lina's earrings. His head jerked up as he realized what it was, and saw her standing defiantly with tears in her eyes and blood on her face from where she had torn the jewelry from its' place. Xellos stood behind her protectively, glaring at the Shaman angrily. 

"Lina…" Zelgadis walked to her in defeat, gathering healing energies in his palm and gently applying them to her wound. "What are we going to do with you?"

"_You_ are going to listen to me, for once." She sniffled, then yelped when he began to wash the blood from her face and throat with a bit of ice water on a napkin. Xellos continued to glare. 

"Very well." The chimera sighed. 

"You're actually going to listen?" The sorceress blinked in surprise. "Who are you, and what have you done with my friend?" Zelgadis chuckled. 

"I'm an alien from the Seas of Chaos come to kidnap young women and take them back to be sex slaves of my people," he smirked. "Honestly, though, I'm tired of fighting with you. Apparently, you've had more than your fill of our arguments as well." He stole a glance at the broken earring, wincing and crumpling the cloth in his hand. "As… as your friend, I owe it to you to listen to what you have to say at least this once, ne?"

"No, I will not return to your home dimension, you perverted extraterrestrial, how many times do I have to tell you?" She grinned.

"You've been yelling at me all week, so scold me with your 'inside voice', okay?" He leaned closer to her, his hazy cerulean eyes containing a hypnotic element swirled with gold. "I owe it to you, don't I?" Before Lina realized what was happening, Zelgadis had captured her lips in a kiss and drawn the air from her lungs. It was one of _those_ kisses, the kind that are next to impossible to find in reality, and, much to Xellos' dismay, Zelgadis didn't appear to be quitting anytime soon. He took out this annoyance on the innkeeper in an extremely violent manner. 

Zelgadis, using his enhanced abilities, could go for a much longer period of time without air than a normal human being. In fact, he could go for almost an hour without breathing, if absolutely necessary. Lina, on the other hand, couldn't last more than five minutes, seven, if given proper time for preparation. Unfortunately for the sorceress, the chimera didn't let up until _fifteen_ minutes later. 

"Xellos." The sharp word caught the Mazoku's attention, and Xellos looked up to see Lina cradled unconscious in the Shaman's arms. "You… You'll take care of her, right?" Xellos only nodded as Zelgadis pushed the precious bundle into his arms. "…. Thanks."

Chapter 10: Kenaz: Mountain of Fire

Xellos, still trying to figure out Zelgadis' "logic", almost missed the faint life force that appeared behind him. He spun around with his staff in a blocking position that would have halted just about any blow…had an attack actually come.

"What the…?" he opened his amethyst eyes, if only to blink in confusion.

"Ahem." A small voice cleared its owner's throat, bringing the Mazoku's attention to the young woman kneeling at his feet. Her long black hair flowed over her shoulders and down her back, with ruby fragments and tiny bejeweled blades entwined in the ebony tresses. She was clothed in a voluminous crimson silk over-tunic, with a black silk sash knotted tightly at her waist. Her delicately sculpted hands almost hid the calluses of swordplay, and each long, slender finger was tipped with a sharpened, scarlet nail.

"May I help you?" he queried politely, not loosening his grip on Lina in the slightest. The woman nodded briefly, then opened her vermilion eyes to meet and lock his gaze. 

"I have come for the girl, sir." She spoke softly. "And for you."

"Might I inquire as to what for?" The Mazoku kept the barrier of formality tight between them.

"My lord and master has sent me to retrieve your ward, sir, and to extend this invitation to the evening's meal to you." She withdrew a sealed parchment from within the robe, but Xellos went pale upon seeing the insignia in the scarlet wax.

"Lamina…" He exhaled, dropping his stave and sinking into a chair. 

"Xellos Metallium, Priest and General of Beast Master Zelas Metallium, your presence is here by requested by Korongar Noddegamra, current leader of the Lamina Clan." She handed him the scroll, observing how he held the unconscious sorceress. "Formal dress is required. I'll allow you to bring her with you when you come." She gave him a knowing wink, then disappeared. 

Zelgadis stared at the peak of Mt. Suivusev from his place at the immense volcano's foot with exhausted azure eyes. He still was unsure what had possessed him to use _that_ diversionary tactic; the one that he had only used twice before and still made his head swim every time he tried. Of course, the other two times, he had botched it up…

He had yet to forget how… original? No… overwhelming that kiss had been on his senses as well. At least this time, he hadn't been the one to pass out first. Not only would that have defeated the purpose of the kiss, but it would have been humiliating when he regained consciousness. Considering _who_ he had kissed, it would have been a very _painful_ experience, had he been there when she awoke…

The chimera shook his head and cleared his mind, determined to accomplish the goal that had brought him there. There _had _ to be _something_ about the timeless mountain of fire that had given Sidag Gray Wars reason to write about it, but what? He heaved a sigh and started the long climb to the top, wondering for a brief moment what qualities in the molten rock repressed the use of magic. He considered taking a sample of the stone, then decided against it; if it negated magic, it would probably interfere with his spell-casting ability even away from the source. That wasn't something he was about to chance. A sudden hiss to his left drew his attention to the danger of the mountain.

*Pressurized steam,* he realized. *Strong enough to break through a rock surface. I'll have to be more careful in the future. A few inches closer, and I'd be sporting third-degree burns.* He quickened his pace, but no more than three meters later he had to halt again. In actuality, he slipped on a patch of volcanic glass and somehow managed to twist his ankle and slice open his calf muscle on the sharp obsidian. Suivusev's magic-nullifying ability had made his skin vulnerable to the mountain's hazards.

"Shit!!!" he hissed, violently cursing his bad luck. He tested his weight on his injured limb, but the pain quickly caused him to crumple to the ground. Mournfully, he looked at the mountain peak, and fearfully at the base. It would be too far for him to jump down, his wounds would make it impossible. Nor could he attempt to continue to climb; with his luck, his leg would give out on some dangerous ledge and send him plummeting head first to his doom…

He was then extremely shocked by the distinct tingle of Runic Magic at work a mere moment later. He stared intently as aureate gauze formed a kind of cast around his leg, holding it firmly in the correct position while the ancient magic worked it's healing powers. 

~ We will keep you safe, my Caster. ~ The Rune Sigel whispered. ~ Trust in us. ~

"But… but how?" he marveled. "Suivusev… it's a magic nullifier!"

~ Trust in us to protect. ~ Wyrd murmured soothingly. ~ _You_ can let us fulfill our true purpose: the protection of our Caster and his or her loved ones. Other Casters used us to sate their own greed… but you are different! ~

~ Runes are no ordinary magic! ~ Sigel giggled. ~ We are special! ~

~ We are the last Runes in the world. ~ Wyrd stated. ~ We cannot be hindered by anything or anyone but our Caster. Only you are capable of destroying us, but you wouldn't do that, would you? ~

"No, I wouldn't." Zelgadis admitted. 

~ Good! ~ Sigel cried.

~ It's time for you to continue your journey, my Caster. ~ Wyrd urged him to his feet. ~ And remember; let no one corrupt you. Even the purest flame in the heart of this mountain can be tainted. Once that happens, it shall only spew forth smoke and ashes, and it will never be clean again. ~

"What? Never?"

~ The blood that is corrupted by gold can only be cleansed by blood that is gold. ~ The Mysterious Rune told him. 

__

And the Angel shall rise up from the Heart of Fire

Rise up to Cleanse that which was Corrupted by gold

The Angel will Rise to take Vengeance on the Corrupt

The Bloody Angel of Vengeance from the Heart of Fire…

For some reason, despite the intense heat coming form the volcano, Zelgadis felt shivers run down his spine…


	3. Book Three

Rune Golem

Rune Golem

Book 3

Chapter 1: Feoh: Business Dinner

"Why are we doing this?" Lina asked irritatedly of Xellos as they sat in the otherwise silent carriage. The Mazoku looked up from fumbling with his bow tie, and blinked. 

"The Lamina Clan is not only the world's oldest nomadic clan still in existence," he explained, "but the only group of people with records of forbidden magic from before the Kouma War."

"And why do I have to wear this dress?!" She gestured furiously at the burgundy silk garment that Xellos had chosen for her. The outfit in question had a sleeveless, V-neck bodice and an ankle-length skirt with a long slit up either side. 

"Formal dress is required!" he chirped, and she hit him with the handbag that matched the ensemble. 

All at once, the vehicle halted, letting them off at a dismal fortress. Well, perhaps dismal is an inaccurate description. The thick walls were made of obsidian, extremely smooth and sharp, and impossible to scale. Blood red banners decorated each of the five towers, all of them either silk or satin. 

"I thought you said the Lamina were nomadic!" she hissed upon seeing the seemingly immobile building.

"They are," he whispered back, and motioned to the base of the fortress. Strangely enough, the material there was hazy and seemed to drift in and out of solid existence. 

"Whatever the Hell it is, it looks dangerous," she muttered. 

"It should be quite safe," he assured her. "This castle has been around since at least the Kouma War. If it hasn't collapsed by now, it's not likely to, ever."

"That's reassuring…" She grumbled.

"This way, please." The black-haired swords-woman appeared in the doorway as the stone portcullis was lifted. She was dressed in the same outfit she had worn to deliver the invitation, Xellos noticed. 

"Fine." Lina scowled and complied, albeit reluctantly. No sooner had they crossed the threshold, than the gate slammed shut behind them. Lina spun around in surprise, but Xellos remained calm.

* They never _did_ get that fixed… * he shook his head and chuckled, earning him a dour glare from his petite companion.

"Lord Noddegamra awaits you." Their guide hinted, leading them up to a massive set of double doors. Inside was the largest dining room Lina had ever seen. Going into detail would be a waste of time, so simply put, Lina was in heaven. It was all Xellos could do to keep her from diving head first into the tables piled with all sorts of food.

"Manners, Lina-chan." He chided. Again, she glared at him.

"Welcome, honored guests." Somewhere from behind a roast turkey and several pounds of mashed potatoes, a man's voice greeted them.

"Huh? Who said that? Where are you — honored host?" Xellos' quick jab to her ribs reminded Lina of the necessity of formality.

The speaker sweat-dropped, although unseen.

"Kwah, could you do something about this?" he sighed. The swords-woman complied, silently moving around platters to increase visibility. 

"Better my Lord?" She asked demurely when finished.

"Quite, thank you." The man in question appeared quite young, in his mid-twenties, greeted them. His almond-shaped eyes were an original shade of mulberry, occasionally glittering with ruby-tints. Wavy indigo hair framed his pale face, tied at the name of his neck with a black ribbon. His violet tunic and black pants were neatly pressed, a symbol of his important position. It was the blue cloak, however, that hung from his broad shoulders, that struck a chord of memory in Lina's mind.

"You!" She cried out, a little louder than she had intended. "You're that guy from the bar! The one who said I should ditch Zel!"

Korongar's face reddened slightly, and he squirmed under her heated gaze.

"Ahem, yes, well, ah…. It was in your best interest, Inverse-san, to separate you and the Runecaster, even if only for a little while." He cleared his throat nervously. It is imperative that you know all of the story. If you can eat and listen…?" He gestured to the food, and she was immediately seated at the table with a slightly larger than lady-like portion on her plate.

"By all means, speak." She insisted, then began to eat. The leader of the Lamina clan sighed and sat down across from her, neatly folding his hands and closing his eyes.

"The Lamina clan has been around long before the Kouma War," he murmured. "We have records dating back 200 years prior. We specialize in the lost knowledge and history of magic. We are also responsible for the destruction of the Runecasters."

"I figured as much…" Xellos sighed, now seated next to Lina. Korongar opened his violet-red eyes and focused on the Trickster Priest.

"You, Master Xellos, should not chastise us on our actions." The youth from the house of Noddegamra spoke sharply. "Or should I address you as—"

"Don't!" The Mazoku warned him sharply.

"Very well." The young man backed down coolly. "We, the Lamina, are the protectors of the planet against the powers of man that would destroy it. You, Lina Inverse, were one of the very powers we are wary of."

"Well, you sure chose a fine and dandy time to act." She spat, remembering the battles with Gaav and Phibrizo. Korongar blushed again.

"We were, at the time, a bit preoccupied," he admitted. "It takes quite a bit of time to move this fortress. And besides, did you not seal off the Giga Slave?"

"Right." Lina still looked skeptical.

"The reason you were brought here was not to discuss why we were delayed in our business with you, Inverse-san." Kwah interjected, but earned only a reproachful glance from her master.

"Kwah is, however, correct." Korongar scowled. "Our business here tonight regards the fellow you call 'Zel', the last Runecaster."

"If you think I'm going to let you kill him…" She growled, but Korongar raised his hands in defense.

"The Runecaster is now the most dangerous problem to solve." He stated. "He controls the Blood Runes—"

"WHAT?!" Xellos rose and hit the table with his fist, trembling in rage. "He has the Blood Runes, and you could do _nothing_?!"

"Which is exactly why the two of you are here." Korongar's gaze narrowed. "If push comes to shove, we will need someone to kill him… Someone who can get close to him without raising his suspicions. That's were you come in, Inverse-san. Isn't that right, Master Sollex?" 

  
Chapter 2: Uruz: The True Power of Runestones

"Whoa!" Lina yelled, furiously hitting the table as Xellos had done earlier. "Stop the carriage and explain yourselves! You first, fruitcake." Xellos only fumed, so she hit him with a fireball.

"What?" he growled.

"You wanna try and explain what's going on around here?" She glared right back, not in the least bit intimidated by his foul mood. "What's the deal with the Blood Runes, and why'd he call you Sollex?"

"Sollex was the first head of the Lamina Clan, long before the War." Korongar said. "Sollex was also responsible for the first death of the Runecaster… one of the holders of the Blood Runes."

"Before I became Mazoku, I was Sollex Noddegamra, Leader of the Lamina clan and Slayer of the Runecaster" Xellos nodded.

"Noddegamra?!" Lina _and_ Kwah expressed their surprise loudly. "But that means—"

"Sollex disappeared about 50 years before the Kouma War, leaving his sister, my ancestor, to lead in his place." Korongar filled in. "Apparently, his reversed name suited the Beast Master just fine, due to the similarity to her own."

"Xellos, _you_ I'm gonna hurt, but first, what the Hell is so special about these 'Blood Runes' that you want to kill Zelgadis over?" Lina's promise of pain did nothing to help cheer the Mazoku.

"The Blood Runes were the most powerful set of Runes ever created, one of the 25 sets that actually had a sentient Rune ruling the set. This particular set is controlled by Wyrd, which _should_ have been the only sentient Rune in that set. However, the destruction of the other Runestone sets caused whatever spirits inhabiting the ruling stones of those sets to flee to the one set that remained; the Blood Runes. I suppose because it now has all the spirits and powers of all 25 sets, it's indestructible…" 

"So it's a powerful and indestructible object, big deal! I don't remember Gourry's Hikari no Ken causing this much of an uproar…. Well, not regularly!" Lina objected.

"Hikari no Ken is by no means sentient," the Mazoku snorted. "Not only are these Runestones a powerful key to a forbidden magic, but they are quite insane."

"Beg pardon?" Lina blinked.

"The Runes, originally, were created as the ultimate defensive magic, seeing as how they can halt even the most powerful of mortal's attacks." Korongar's eyes narrowed. "However, their Casters became corrupted over time, and started using the power of Runes for offensive purposes. Some of the richest families in the world fell to the greed of Runecasters. Eventually, because their Casters were corrupt, the Runes themselves became corrupt."

"Corrupt?" The red-head felt her stomach turn.

"Being sentient, the Runes became embittered by their misuse, and began to use _their Casters_ to take revenge on human kind. When Sollex killed the first Rune Mage and rejected the Runes' attempt to make him their Caster, Runecasters around the world went crazy, and then were silenced." The dangerous glint in Korongar's mulberry-hued eyes made Lina more uneasy than ever. "In order to protect this world, we hunted down and destroyed the Runes. I thought we had destroyed them all… but how _that_ set escaped… It's beyond me…"

"Now that Zelgadis has accepted the Runes, and their corruption, he, too, will eventually be corrupted." Xellos patted Lina on the shoulder in condolence. "I'm sorry, Lina-chan, we're going to have to kill him."

"Now…" Her stunned gaze bore holes into Korongar's heart. "I won't allow it! I am Lina Inverse, genius sorceress, and I WON'T ALLOW YOU TO KILL MY FRIENDS!" She jumped to her feet, the raw power for a Dragon Slave gathering in her hands. Korongar and Kwah shifted into defensive stances, but Xellos materialized behind Lina and pinned her arms to her side.

"If they don't kill him, Lina-chan, I will." The Mazoku purred. "Zelgadis has to die. I owe this to my clan, and to my master."

"Two of our finest are already at the peak of Suivusev, awaiting the Runecaster's arrival." The Leader of the Lamina sighed. "You don't have to worry, Inverse-san. Yarat 'Nam and Tenroh will make sure he doesn't suffer."

A blast of heat seared Zelgadis' face, causing him to stumble back a step. Finally, he had reached the top of Suivusev. He would know the truth about the ancient volcano at last. His elation, however, was cut short by a painful jolt to his back. He glanced down and saw, to his great horror, the bloody pike that impaled his stomach. He tried to breathe, but only ended up coughing up blood. Sigel was screaming in his mind, urging him to pull the spear out so it could heal his wound, but his strength was gone.

"Got 'im!" A man's voice came from behind him. Zelgadis wanted to turn around to see who had dealt the blow, but the cold numbness that was quickly overcoming him prevented movement. The man behind him pulled the spear out roughly, and Sigel rushed to heal him.

"Yarat 'Nam!" Another man, probably just out of childhood by the tone of his voice, alerted the first to the Rune's activity.

"Damn!" The first one hissed, and once again the pike was plunged into his flesh. This time, however, the blade that went through his chest punctured his aorta. Zelgadis' eyes opened a bit wider, and blood fell from his slightly agape lips. 

* No… * he thought, loosing the strength to stand, and stumbling forward. The person behind him let go of his weapon to keep Sigel from healing the Runecaster.

* NO! * He saw the edge of the mountain coming closer as he fell…

A flash of gold raced through his eyes, and as he fell into the open mouth of the volcano, he realized that with the heat licking his skin, his own blood had become gold…

  
Chapter Three: Nauthiz: Necessity of Vengeance

"Zelgadis…" Lina's blood red eyes unfocused and blurred by the beginnings of tears. Xellos still held onto her, too tightly for her taste, but he was all that stood between Korongar and a Dragon slave.

"Milord." Two men appeared before the leader of the Lamina, both kneeling.

"Is it done?" Korongar asked them.

"The Runecaster is dead, Lord Korongar." The one on the left nodded. 

"My pike pierced his skin, just as you predicted." The other added. "Stone is no match for diamond-steel."

"Zelgadis!" Lina cried out, and the two new arrivals spun around in surprise. 

"Master, who are they?"

"Isn't that… Lina Inverse?!"

"Don't worry, Tenroh, Yarat 'Nam." Korongar waved away their concern. "She understands our position."

"_How_ did you kill the Runecaster?" Xellos scowled. Yarat 'Nam, a slender, brown haired man with brick red eyes and sleek features, blinked. 

"I ran him through, twice." He tossed his waist length tresses over his shoulder. "Had to leave my spear in him to keep the damn Runes from healing him."

"Did you leave the body there?" The Mazoku's expression did not change. 

"The Runecaster—" Tenroh, a younger man with sandy blonde hair and dark scarlet eyes, was cut off by the all but forgotten sorceress. 

"He has a name!" She screamed. "At least call him by his name!" 

"…?" Tenroh looked confused.

"At least give Zelgadis that much respect!!" 

"Zelgadis… fell off the edge of the mountain after Yarat 'Nam stabbed him."

"On which side?" Xellos' eyes opened wide. 

"He fell… into the volcano…"

"WHAT?!" A violet-black aura sprang up around the Mazoku. "He was bleeding, dying, and he fell _INTO SUIVUSEV_?!"

Tenroh and Yarat 'Nam cowered. Kwah flinched. Korongar glowed with anger as well. 

"What's the big deal about that?" Lina glowered. 

"Now we're all doomed. " Korongar sighed. "We're all doomed."

Suivusev's molten rock core bubbled slowly, glowing with heat. One large pocket of air popped, releasing what sounded like a giggle. Several more bubbles released fragments of laughter, and the light from the magma brightened considerably, taking on a gold hue. The ground shook, and the lava began to rise, laughter ringing all the way…

"Suivusev… gateway to Limbo… the 'birthplace' of all Runes, and the doorway to unlimited power…" Korongar sank low into his chair, head bowed and shoulders slumped. He remained motionless, even as the building began to shake and Tenroh and Yarat 'Nam began to panic.

"It has begun…" The laughter from the volcano echoed through the fortress, and the familiarity of the voice caused chills to run up and down Lina's spine.

Ancient Mt. Suivusev was shaking violently, smoke and lava bits flying everywhere. Below, people fled in chaotic terror as the day that their lives would be destroyed arrived. A geyser of molten rock spewed from the mountain's mouth with a loud roar. Riding on the tip of the blast was an obsidian sphere, which rose above the lava and hovered in the sky for a moment, a black shadow against the sun. Then it shattered, revealing the Angel within.

The Angel was, of course, beautiful to look at. It had a lean-cut, male form, as if it were carved from a single piece of creamy marble. Silvery-violet hair, every strand as delicate as a spider's thread, cascaded over the angel's right eye, and flared out at the nape of his neck. His eyes seemed to be two perfectly faceted sapphires, flashing in the light of the midnight sun. Garbed in a black, sleeveless tunic and pants, the angel's wings were actually a large black cloak and shoulder wrap, embroidered in gold with ancient symbols of power. Knee-high black boots completed the ominous ensemble of the Vengeful Angel. 

A smirk twisted across the Angel's perfectly sculpted lips.

"Time to die, Sollex." It chuckled. "You, and the race you hold so dear!"

Xellos Metallium felt the massive jolt of power that disrupted the astral plane, and knew instantly what was coming. He moved quickly to the window, just in time to see the black sphere shatter. He phased outside to meet the growing danger.

"What's going on now?" Lina demanded, irritated at being left out.

"Sollex has gone to intercept the Rune Mage." Korongar grumbled. "Futile effort, really, but he has courage, I'll give him that."

"WHADDAYAMEAN?!" Tired of not getting the whole story, Lina grabbed the Lamina leader by his collar and shook him.

"The Runes are now in charge of Zelgadis' body." Korongar jerked away. "At least, theoretically, that's what should have happened. Your friend fell into Suivusev, the forge of destructive power, and should be their tool to the destruction of the human race."

"Theoretically…" She glared, then bashed him with a Flare Arrow.

"Shit!" He yelled, then scrambled to his feet. "Inverse-san!" He called out to her just as she blasted through the wall and out to the battle field.

A moment later, the fortress was blown into smithereens by an immense explosion of golden energy.

The air was filled with black and gold fire. The heat from the flames seared her skin, threatening to pop the protective bubble Rei Wing provided. 

"Xellos! Zelgadis!" She yelled, pushing onwards despite the danger. "Zelgadis?"

"Lina, damn it, get out of here!" Xellos yelled from somewhere in the darker pyre.

"Where's Zelgadis?" she screamed.

"That's not Zelgadis!" he shouted back. 

"Where is he?!"

"Lina, you can't fight this battle!"

"WHERE IS HE?!"

"Right behind you." Lina turned towards the new voice, and came face to face with the Angel of Vengeance. 

Chapter Four: Wunjo: The Battle for Happily Ever After

Burning blue eyes scorched holes into Lina's soul as she stared at the heartbreakingly beautiful Angel of Vengeance. It _was_ beautiful, but hauntingly empty. There was a thick black liquid, possibly Xellos' blood, splattered on its creamy skin. The same fluid dripped from its silken, silvery-violet hair. The Angel was far too similar to _him_, as if it was mocking _him_ when it created its body.

"Who are you?" The Angel asked coldly.

"Who are _you_?" Lina snapped in return.

"I am the Angel of Vengeance." It replied. "I am the destruction of humanity."

"What?" She placed her hands on her hips.

"I am the Angel of Vengeance." It repeated. "I am the destruction of humanity."

"No way!"

"Who are you?"

"I am Lina Inverse! The beautiful and genius sorceress!"

"Then…. Good-bye, Lina Inverse." The Angel's eyes glowed with golden light, which rapidly spread to its fists. Lina braced herself for impact, knowing that it probably wouldn't do too much good anyway. A shadow fell over her as the energy blast came at her. 

"Xellos!" she cried, opening her eyes.

"Lina, please, run…" The Mazoku's negative energy field flickered against the power the Vengeful Angel generated. "He doesn't realize what he's doing!"

"Sollex!" The Angel of Vengeance yelled, flying up higher above the weakened Juujinken Priest and preparing to dive bomb him. "I thought I killed you… I'll have to finish you _now_."

"Zelgadis, stop!" Xellos yelled, hurling a black cone at the Rune Mage. "You're going to hit Lina too!" If the Angel heard, it didn't change its course.

"Zelgadis?!" Lina screamed, seeing her familiar chimera friend in the Angel's cold eyes. 

"There is no Zelgadis!" The Angel hissed. "There is only the Angel of Vengeance!"

"No!!!" She pushed Xellos aside, quickly casting a Dragon Slave. Tears filled her eyes as the red light faded away, leaving no sign of the Angel. She glanced around, only to be dive-kicked from behind. 

"Foolish girl," the Vengeful Angel snarled. "You're far too slow to fight me."

"FIREBALL!" The sorceress yelled, throwing a pyrokinetic sphere twice the size of a basketball.

"Isa." It called on the Rune of Primal Ice, which eagerly devoured the flame.

"ELMEKIA FLAME!" Blinding white light shot forward at breakneck speed. 

"Purisaz." A shield of thorns formed in front of the spell, absorbing it and then dissipating. With only one punch, the Angel sent her sprawling to the ground. 

"Damn it!" She sat up, wiping a trickle of blood from her mouth. "It feels like I got hit by an ox-cart!"

"Prepare to die, Lina Inverse." The Angel hovered over her, looking down with its stone-cold eyes. 

Xellos, appearing behind the Angel, smashed it over the head with his staff. The red gem shattered, and the Angel turned under the shower of fragmented jewel. Gold glowed in its sky blue eyes. 

"Shit!" The Mazoku's eyes widened.

"Sollex…" The Angel growled. 

"I promised you I'd take care of Lina-chan, remember?" The Juujinken Priest summoned more ebony cones. "This is one promise I intend to keep!"

"ASA!" The Angel's aureate power ripped a large hole in Xellos' abdomen. Black liquid splattered onto the Vengeful Angel's face. The dark clad Angel kicked the Mazoku sharply, brushing off the dust from Xellos' earlier attack. 

All at once, the crimson jewel shards shot forth similarly colored laser-like ropes, which wound around the Angel and held it captive. 

"What the—?" The Angel cried out, struggling against the ruby bonds.

"I'm not… going to let…you hurt Lina-chan!" Xellos snarled, trying to get to his feet. The Angel replied with a snap kick that sent its opponent reeling back. 

"RAGNA BLADE!" Lina cried, lunging forward with the black energy blade. The Nightmare magic easily sliced through the Angel's body, tearing a jagged hole in its chest. The Angel's eyes widened, and then it slumped lifelessly to the ground as she let the sword dissipate. 

"I didn't…" Lina's ruby gaze was filled with horror. "I didn't want to do that…"

"It had to be done." Xellos, moving to stand beside her, placed his hand on her shoulder. "The Angel would have destroyed all humanity otherwise."

"That doesn't make it hurt any less." She buried her face into the Mazoku's shoulder. 

"I know." He sighed and gently smoothed her hair. "I know."

"This isn't over!" Suddenly standing, the Angel of Vengeance rushed them. The golden aura hit them hard, and sent them sprawling to the ground. 

"ZEL!" The red-head screamed. "Why?! Damn it, why are you doing this?!"

"There _is_ no _Zel_." The Angel snapped angrily. "There is only the Angel of Vengeance!" 

"Stop it!" Xellos yelled. "You're breaking her heart! Don't do this! Zelgadis, don't let them do this to her! Don't let them kill her with your body!"

"There is no Zelgadis!" It reiterated, sounding more and more desperate. "I am the Angel of Vengeance! I am the one chosen to end human cruelty! My body is an honor to the Caster—"

"HA!" Lina shouted. "How can _you_ be so _cruel_?! I did nothing to you, and you destroyed my best friend! And then you taunt me by taking a form so similar to his, and using it to fight me? How dare you be so hypocritical?!" Somehow during her rant, she managed to get closer to the Angel. At the end of her speech, she hauled off and slapped it across the face. 

"Lina!" Xellos called to her, but she wasn't quite finished. 

"I don't believe one word of the crap you said, buster." She glared at the stunned Rune Mage through her tears. "You were the Rune's link to the physical world, and I'm willing to bet everything that they changed your body to give them control over you. Remember me, Zelgadis, or I swear I'll…"

"You'll what?" The Angel's glacial blue-eyes were mere slits in response to her threat, but there was confusion and pain behind the ice.

"Zelgadis, if you forgot me; forgot everything we went through together, forgot what you mean to me, I swear, I'll blast you right through the Seas of Chaos via L-sama." She faintly growled.

The Vengeful Angel looked shocked, and then it lowered it's head. Laughter bubbled over its marble smooth lips, even as its golden aura stretched out to fill the sky.

It was still laughing when that aura exploded. 

  
Chapter Five: Wyrd: Ever After

The last thing Lina remembered was the defeated look in the eyes of the Angel of Vengeance as it had released its hold on its golden aura. The explosion that had followed must have knocked her unconscious, because when she opened her eyes, she didn't know where she was.

"Hmm?" Lazily, her ruby-hued eyes fluttered open. Her vision focused slowly. Xellos' worried amethyst gaze stared back at her. 

"You've regained consciousness," he smiled openly. "I'm glad." Lina felt a blush stain her cheeks. 

"Where… are we?" she asked, sitting up slowly due to the pain in her head. "What happened? The last thing I recall is hitting Zel—… the Angel…" 

"We're on Wolf Pack Island." He replied. "We're safe here. It's okay, Lina, it's over now."

"What about Zel?" She asked with an urgency that pained him. 

"I don't know what's going on with Zelgadis." The trickster admitted. "The Angel is no longer on the rampage, but the body hasn't changed. I don't know what the Runes did to him…"

"Where is he?" She demanded.

"Currently, he's in some kind of amber-gold cocoon, protected by Asa, Isa, and Purisaz. My master is trying to break it as we speak, but so far…" Xellos shook his head. 

"Take me to him."

Mere moments later they stood before the doors of the Beast Master's throne room. Lina took the time to follow the doors from the base to the top with her eyes, impassively noticing that they were over 50 feet tall. 

"Wait here." Xellos pushed open the doors gently, gesturing with his gloved hand. Lina nodded in response. 

An explosion quickly followed. 

"Gods damn it!" The Beast Master hissed, throwing her cigarette to the ground as the smoke from the explosion cleared. The orange and yellow casket stood unaffected by her temper tantrum. 

"Master?" Xellos bowed, his eyes shadowed. 

"Xellos, good." She sighed, lighting a fresh cigarette. "I'll take it that the girl's awake?"

"Yes, master." He replied. "She's waiting outside."

"Bring her in." She commanded. Xellos nodded, and led the sorceress in to the chamber. 

"Where's Zel?" The red-head scowled. Zelas matched her scowl, and pointed to the case. 

"You want to try?" The Beast Master offered as Lina ran over to it. "Be my guest."

"Zelgadis!" Lina placed her hand up to the surface of the amber-gold material. Three Runes flared to life over his shoulders and heart; one a straight line, one a line with a 'v' on its side connected to the middle by the open end, and the third a line with two small, 'v' like angles added to the upper right hand side. 

~ It's the girl. ~ Isa, the line, pulsed when it 'spoke'

~ Wyrd said not to let anyone through. ~ Purisaz, the thorn-like one, replied. 

~ But she wields Nightmare! ~ Asa, the last one, objected. 

~ Let her pass. ~ When _this_ Rune spoke, no symbol became bright. ~ She has defeated us. And it is obvious she cares about the condition of our Caster. ~

"Damn right I do," She grumbled. Asa, Isa, and Purisaz hesitated, but pulled back the casket. The minute the heavy cover was lifted, Zelgadis' eyes flew open and he sat up, taking fresh air deep into his lungs. 

"GAH!" The ex-chimera cried, shoulders heaving. "What a nightmare!" 

"Zelgadis?" Lina sighed in relief, throwing her arms around him. Xellos scowled, but remained silent. 

"Lina? What are… What are you doing?!" The former Angel of Vengeance blushed brightly. 

"Damn it, Zel, never, ever do that to me again," She murmured. "I'll Dragon Slave your ass to the moon, you jerk."

"What?" He blinked, awkwardly returning her embrace. Xellos growled. 

"Never mind, just don't leave. Don't go off on your own anymore."

"Lina…"

"Promise me, Zelgadis."

"Lina, what the hell is going on?" he pushed her back, but stopped short to stare at the human texture of his marble skin. "What… is this?"

~ My Caster, we are sorry. ~ The mysterious blank Rune Wyrd addressed him. ~ We used you much in the same way we were used, and we were wrong. As our penance, we give you these gifts; a human appearance that is stronger and faster than the one given to you prior, eternal youth, and all the defensive properties of Runic magic. To negate the risk of corruption again, we leave your attack power untouched. Now, beloved Caster, we return to our place beyond the Seas of Chaos to seal the Angel of Vengeance forever. ~

"What the Hell?" Zelgadis realized, as Wyrd was speaking, that time had ground to a halt. "Wyrd, what's going on?"

~ Use our gifts to protect the girl. ~ The invisible Rune told him. ~ That is what Runes were created for, after all. Protect her, body and heart. ~

"I don't understand, what happened?!" The once-chimera demanded. Golden light filled his eyes, playing memories of the Angel of Vengeance and its actions in his mind. When the luminescence faded, time resumed flow, leaving Zelgadis with bloody memories for answers. He looked down at his hands and let go a horrified cry as he felt the warmth of the Runes he had grown so accustomed to disappear forever. 

"Those things I did…" He gasped. "So awful!" 

"Zel, please, promise me you won't leave me!" Lina begged him.

~ Don't you _dare_ hurt her again, ~ Xellos growled telepathically. Zelgadis glanced at the Trickster, who was no longer smiling. A tear rolled away from the Mazoku's eye, leaving its salty trail as the only memorial to its existence.

"I promise, Lina," he whispered. * I've got all the time in the world to atone. *


End file.
